Driving Safety After a Concussion
Suffering a concussion can take a major toll on your overall health and wellbeing. One important consideration during recovery is whether or not it is safe to drive a vehicle. Even after concussion symptoms resolve, many patients experience lingering effects like slowed reaction time and reduced processing speed.
Determining when you can safely get back behind the wheel requires an honest assessment of your current condition. While you may feel fully recovered, subtle cognitive impairments can persist long after an injury. Don't assume you're ready to drive - instead, consult with your doctor and carefully evaluate your mental functioning.
Why Concussions Affect Driving Ability
Several factors make driving risky after experiencing a concussion:
- Delayed reaction time - Processing and responding to sights and sounds on the road may be slowed.
- Reduced concentration - It can be difficult to focus on driving with lingering headache and mental fogginess.
- Impaired coordination - Vision, balance and motor coordination are often disrupted after a concussion.
- Trouble multitasking - Concussions reduce the ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously like driving requires.
- Light/noise sensitivity - Bright lights and loud sounds worsen symptoms, making driving uncomfortable.
- Medication side effects - Some concussion medications cause drowsiness or altered mental status.
Warning Signs You Shouldn't Be Driving
Pay close attention to any of the following indicators that you may be unsafe behind the wheel after a concussion:
- Ongoing headaches, dizziness, nausea or mental fogginess
- Vision issues like blurred or double vision
- Feeling distracted, having wandering thoughts
- Forgetting where you are going while driving
- Delayed response to traffic signals, stop signs
- Failure to notice cars or pedestrians around you
- Braking too quickly or slowly
- Veering out of your traffic lane
- Getting lost, even on familiar routes
Be on high alert for any signs your driving skills are impaired. Don't simply wait for symptoms to resolve - you must be proactive and test your abilities before resuming driving.
Determining Your Readiness to Drive
How do you know when it's safe to get back behind the wheel after a concussion? Follow these steps to responsibly assess your driving readiness:
Get cleared by your doctor
The first and most important step is getting your physician's approval to start driving again. They will gauge your condition based on ongoing symptoms, cognitive testing and recovery timeline. Don't drive without your doctor'sconsent.
Pass cognitive assessments
Formal neurocognitive testing can measure abilities like concentration, reaction time and processing speed. Passing objective mental functioning tests helps confirm your brain is ready for driving's multi-tasking demands.
Start slowly in safe conditions
Ease back into driving with short trips under optimal conditions. Drive on familiar roads during light traffic and daylight hours. Avoid hazardous winter weather or dense freeway traffic initially.
Have a passenger provide feedback
Have a trusted person ride along and observe your driving skills during your initial outings. Any veering, delayed reaction time or inaccurate maneuvering should be a red flag.
Listen to your body
How do you feel behind the wheel? Pay attention to any light/noise sensitivity, anxiety, wandering thoughts or mental fatigue. Don't ignore your body's warning signs of over-exertion.
Stop immediately if needed
If at any point you feel unsafe driving, pull over immediately. Better to be overly cautious than risk a serious accident. Consider calling someone to pick you up.
Other Transportation Options During Recovery
Until your doctor clears you to drive, here are some alternative transportation options:
- Ask family or friends for rides
- Use public transportation like buses or trains
- Call a taxi, Uber or Lyft
- Arrange medical transport for appointments
- Walk or bike for short distances as symptoms allow
- Carpool by sharing rides with others
- Inquire about transportation assistance programs
Don't take risks by driving prematurely - utilize other means of transportation until you've
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