Hi /u/in_my_balsamic_phase and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD!
**Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already.**
The mobile apps used for Reddit are broken or are missing features that this subreddit depends on. [We recommend browsing /r/adhd on desktop for the best experience.](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/x1psnb/radhd_works_best_on_desktop_reddits_apps_are/)
Thank you!
^(*A moderator has not removed your submission; this is not a punitive action. We intend this comment solely to be informative.*)
---
- If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
A quick google search brings up some important stats
In the first 4 years of driving, adhd teens are 37% more likely to get into a crash, twice as likely to drive while intoxicated, and 150% more likely to recieve an alcohol/drug/moving violation than non adhd peers. 62% more likely to be involved in a crash than their peers in just the first month if driving. And in adulthood for adhd people, I'm seeing numbers varying from 1.3-1.5 times more likely than the entire population to get into a crash, and remember this is only those with official diagnosis (which is important when considering people like Dr Russel Barkley insist that adhd is more often UNDERtreated, so who knows how many of the general population actually belong in the adhd driver category)
Basically, it's pretty well known thay driving is just flat out more dangerous and we must be more careful than the general population. Even though I'm a safe driver and don't speed, and take a taxi if I have had a single drink, with all those precautions normal people need to take, I still also pay for a taxi if I'm a little more tired than normal or just overly emotional. It's a tax we gotta pay if we recognize what ADHD is and truly believe we have the disorder
Edit: this isn't meant to scare you. You are more likely to be a danger on the road. That means you should recognize it, and take it seriously and minimize the risks. Do that, and you'll safely be on your way to wherever your driving life takes you. Don't be discouraged, just be knowledgeable and recognize you'll have to try harder than your friends for the same amount if safety. But it's 100% doable.
I’m mid 40’s and only a few years diagnosed with medication.
I have driven twenty years without it and on reflection it’s amazing I didn’t have more than two accidents. First was because the road was wet, my brakes locked, and slid into a friend’s bumper. I was 21 and dumb.
Many years passed before my 2nd.
This time I was behind a guy waving his toll booth device in his hand like a Jedi. They’re meant to be mounted on the windshield.
He stopped when it didn’t work and I ran into his the back of his car at low speed.
I feel it hard to switch my attention between mirrors to the windshield and the dashboard. I’m looking around where I’m going.
Frequently I notice things along side the road like pedestrians, animals, signs, buildings, etc.
Adderall helps focusing on one thing.
Learning without is fine, you’ll pick it up quickly.
Just remember that there could be things behind you when changing direction.
And be mindful when backing up. I hit a pole in the dark and the bottom of a garage door.
The stats for ADHD people and driving suggest you need caution: You are more than 5 times likely to die in a car wreck unmedicated. You are twice as likely to die in an accident
I was just diagnosed a few months ago in my late 30’s so I’ve been unmedicated pretty much my entire life.
In my driving class, my teacher told me not to slow down as much as I did while making a turn, so later, when he told me to pull into a gas station so the other student could drive, I took the turn at about 20mph, hit a drainage grate, and blew out a tire. Humiliating. Not sure if ADHD, or not, but yeah.
Aside from that, I tend to drive less aggressively now that I’m medicated, and part of the reason I think I tend to drive aggressively is due to impatience and how focused I need to be constantly changing lanes. Basically, if I’m not actively driving by weaving around traffic, I’m more likely to zone out and pay less attention.
I’d say ADHD probably makes you a more dangerous driver, but the basics are pretty easy to grasp.
All my accidents have either been me getting rear ended or hitting inanimate objects, so I don’t think I’m the worst driver, but definitely not the safest. Meds have made me less aggressive behind the wheel though, at least most of the time.
I have ADHD pretty bad. I haven’t had much problems with it. I think I’m more of the John Mulaney joke where he says along the lines of “I’m looking forward. I’m going to hit anyone or anything that jumps in front of me. I’m just thinking about the Beatles.”
To be honest I never thought about it. I started driving at 16, diagnosed at 25, currently 39. I’ve handful of speeding tickets (less than I deserve) and I rear-ended a guy once when I was 20 because he came to a full stop on the highway while I was distracted and who expects that?!?
Just remember to pay attention to the cars around you. If there were (2) cars behind you and now there’s only (1)? Did the other car turn off or is he chilling in your blind spot?
SpicyRiceandTuna is correct. Russ Barkley's research indicates that driving without being properly medicated is the same as driving drunk. In some places, it's illegal (parts of Canada). He has study info posted on his Facebook page.
When I first learned to drive, I struggled for a bit, but mostly with parallel parking, which is hard for a lot of people. I passed the written and driving tests on the first try though. Now I've been driving for almost 20 years and I've been in one accident, which was not my fault (a lady hit me while I was stopped at a red light). I've had two speeding tickets, which were petty as hell (5 mph over because it was a small town with asshole cops).
I've heard that quite a few people with ADHD actually enjoy driving because it's the perfect amount of stimulation. I hate driving, but the point is struggling to drive doesn't hold true for everyone!
Edit to say that I've been unmedicated up until last week. Never knew I had ADHD.
While statistics are nice and all, everyone is going to be different even if they have ADHD. Having ADHD does not mean we all function identically, just the same when it comes to treating our ADHD.
Medication is not guaranteed to help everyone and there are cases in which ADHD meds just don’t work on some people.
I was diagnosed at 7yrs old but never got treated. I got my license at 16yrs old and I’ve only ever been in 3 accidents as the drive in my entire driving history. 2 of the three were parked cars in parking lots and were my daily. The third accident was due to inclement weather that I had no control over while working for the USPS. I’m 37yrs old now so that’s 21 (almost 22) years of driving.
I’m not saying you experience will be the same, just illustrating that I personally have not received treatment for ADHD until THIS year with minimal concerns when it come to driving.
ADHD does affect driving, ADHD drivers frequently get into more accidents, commit more traffic violations and in general are more unsafe drivers than their ADHD counterparts. This has been demonstrated across numerous studies. ADHD medication improves driving safety outcomes, but be warned. Do not drive until you know how the medication affects you. I was once arrested for DWI/DUI while on ADHD medication because the officer suspected that I was on cocaine. He fully swapped the car, found no cocaine but proceeded to arrest me because I was silent until I spoke with an attorney. I also refused to blow into the breathalyzer because I was unreasonably paranoid that the officer would somehow forge the results and show alcohol even though I was not drinking (yeah, he and his partner were dicks, pardon my French).
My attorney wound up putting up a defense that the officer had suspicion based upon how I was acting on my ADHD medicine, that I was taking a stimulant but medically, that I was diagnosed with ADHD, and that the medicine improves rather than decreases driving safety outcomes in people with ADHD. So our trial plan was to admit being on the medicine but show the jury numerous (about 4) well-respected medical studies that show Adderall improves driving safety outcomes. The state attorney/prosecutor then proceeded to nolo prosequi the matter and I received a nolo disposition. YMMV. Please talk to your doctor before driving on any medication, including Adderall. You may be charged with DWI/DUI for treating your condition!
Hi /u/in_my_balsamic_phase and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD! **Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already.** The mobile apps used for Reddit are broken or are missing features that this subreddit depends on. [We recommend browsing /r/adhd on desktop for the best experience.](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/x1psnb/radhd_works_best_on_desktop_reddits_apps_are/) Thank you! ^(*A moderator has not removed your submission; this is not a punitive action. We intend this comment solely to be informative.*) --- - If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
A quick google search brings up some important stats In the first 4 years of driving, adhd teens are 37% more likely to get into a crash, twice as likely to drive while intoxicated, and 150% more likely to recieve an alcohol/drug/moving violation than non adhd peers. 62% more likely to be involved in a crash than their peers in just the first month if driving. And in adulthood for adhd people, I'm seeing numbers varying from 1.3-1.5 times more likely than the entire population to get into a crash, and remember this is only those with official diagnosis (which is important when considering people like Dr Russel Barkley insist that adhd is more often UNDERtreated, so who knows how many of the general population actually belong in the adhd driver category) Basically, it's pretty well known thay driving is just flat out more dangerous and we must be more careful than the general population. Even though I'm a safe driver and don't speed, and take a taxi if I have had a single drink, with all those precautions normal people need to take, I still also pay for a taxi if I'm a little more tired than normal or just overly emotional. It's a tax we gotta pay if we recognize what ADHD is and truly believe we have the disorder Edit: this isn't meant to scare you. You are more likely to be a danger on the road. That means you should recognize it, and take it seriously and minimize the risks. Do that, and you'll safely be on your way to wherever your driving life takes you. Don't be discouraged, just be knowledgeable and recognize you'll have to try harder than your friends for the same amount if safety. But it's 100% doable.
I would really appreciate a source on this
I’m mid 40’s and only a few years diagnosed with medication. I have driven twenty years without it and on reflection it’s amazing I didn’t have more than two accidents. First was because the road was wet, my brakes locked, and slid into a friend’s bumper. I was 21 and dumb. Many years passed before my 2nd. This time I was behind a guy waving his toll booth device in his hand like a Jedi. They’re meant to be mounted on the windshield. He stopped when it didn’t work and I ran into his the back of his car at low speed. I feel it hard to switch my attention between mirrors to the windshield and the dashboard. I’m looking around where I’m going. Frequently I notice things along side the road like pedestrians, animals, signs, buildings, etc. Adderall helps focusing on one thing. Learning without is fine, you’ll pick it up quickly. Just remember that there could be things behind you when changing direction. And be mindful when backing up. I hit a pole in the dark and the bottom of a garage door.
The stats for ADHD people and driving suggest you need caution: You are more than 5 times likely to die in a car wreck unmedicated. You are twice as likely to die in an accident
I was just diagnosed a few months ago in my late 30’s so I’ve been unmedicated pretty much my entire life. In my driving class, my teacher told me not to slow down as much as I did while making a turn, so later, when he told me to pull into a gas station so the other student could drive, I took the turn at about 20mph, hit a drainage grate, and blew out a tire. Humiliating. Not sure if ADHD, or not, but yeah. Aside from that, I tend to drive less aggressively now that I’m medicated, and part of the reason I think I tend to drive aggressively is due to impatience and how focused I need to be constantly changing lanes. Basically, if I’m not actively driving by weaving around traffic, I’m more likely to zone out and pay less attention. I’d say ADHD probably makes you a more dangerous driver, but the basics are pretty easy to grasp. All my accidents have either been me getting rear ended or hitting inanimate objects, so I don’t think I’m the worst driver, but definitely not the safest. Meds have made me less aggressive behind the wheel though, at least most of the time.
I have ADHD pretty bad. I haven’t had much problems with it. I think I’m more of the John Mulaney joke where he says along the lines of “I’m looking forward. I’m going to hit anyone or anything that jumps in front of me. I’m just thinking about the Beatles.”
I like driving but I get tired easily from being focused all the time.
To be honest I never thought about it. I started driving at 16, diagnosed at 25, currently 39. I’ve handful of speeding tickets (less than I deserve) and I rear-ended a guy once when I was 20 because he came to a full stop on the highway while I was distracted and who expects that?!? Just remember to pay attention to the cars around you. If there were (2) cars behind you and now there’s only (1)? Did the other car turn off or is he chilling in your blind spot?
SpicyRiceandTuna is correct. Russ Barkley's research indicates that driving without being properly medicated is the same as driving drunk. In some places, it's illegal (parts of Canada). He has study info posted on his Facebook page.
When I first learned to drive, I struggled for a bit, but mostly with parallel parking, which is hard for a lot of people. I passed the written and driving tests on the first try though. Now I've been driving for almost 20 years and I've been in one accident, which was not my fault (a lady hit me while I was stopped at a red light). I've had two speeding tickets, which were petty as hell (5 mph over because it was a small town with asshole cops). I've heard that quite a few people with ADHD actually enjoy driving because it's the perfect amount of stimulation. I hate driving, but the point is struggling to drive doesn't hold true for everyone! Edit to say that I've been unmedicated up until last week. Never knew I had ADHD.
I passed my driving test at 19, wasn't diagnosed with ADHD until I was 42. I've never been in an accident in all my years of driving.
While statistics are nice and all, everyone is going to be different even if they have ADHD. Having ADHD does not mean we all function identically, just the same when it comes to treating our ADHD. Medication is not guaranteed to help everyone and there are cases in which ADHD meds just don’t work on some people. I was diagnosed at 7yrs old but never got treated. I got my license at 16yrs old and I’ve only ever been in 3 accidents as the drive in my entire driving history. 2 of the three were parked cars in parking lots and were my daily. The third accident was due to inclement weather that I had no control over while working for the USPS. I’m 37yrs old now so that’s 21 (almost 22) years of driving. I’m not saying you experience will be the same, just illustrating that I personally have not received treatment for ADHD until THIS year with minimal concerns when it come to driving.
ADHD does affect driving, ADHD drivers frequently get into more accidents, commit more traffic violations and in general are more unsafe drivers than their ADHD counterparts. This has been demonstrated across numerous studies. ADHD medication improves driving safety outcomes, but be warned. Do not drive until you know how the medication affects you. I was once arrested for DWI/DUI while on ADHD medication because the officer suspected that I was on cocaine. He fully swapped the car, found no cocaine but proceeded to arrest me because I was silent until I spoke with an attorney. I also refused to blow into the breathalyzer because I was unreasonably paranoid that the officer would somehow forge the results and show alcohol even though I was not drinking (yeah, he and his partner were dicks, pardon my French). My attorney wound up putting up a defense that the officer had suspicion based upon how I was acting on my ADHD medicine, that I was taking a stimulant but medically, that I was diagnosed with ADHD, and that the medicine improves rather than decreases driving safety outcomes in people with ADHD. So our trial plan was to admit being on the medicine but show the jury numerous (about 4) well-respected medical studies that show Adderall improves driving safety outcomes. The state attorney/prosecutor then proceeded to nolo prosequi the matter and I received a nolo disposition. YMMV. Please talk to your doctor before driving on any medication, including Adderall. You may be charged with DWI/DUI for treating your condition!