DriveSafety Thoughts, questions, comments and links dealing with driving and prescription drugs.

Can adults have ADD or ADHD?

DriveSafety — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 22:38:56 GMT

Is it possible for an adult to have ADD or ADHD? And if some, will the medication impact that person’s driving ability?

April 12. 2009 – Sue, Minnesota

A Guy, a Car: Beyond Schizophrenia

Wed, 06 May 2009 04:11:21 GMT

Dr. Ronald Pies wrote in the NY Times on 4 May 2009 an article entitled "A Guy, a Car: Beyond Schizophrenia". http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/05/health/05case.html.

The delimma is should a patient with a specific psychiatric disorder on a specific medication be okayed to drive?

While schizophrenia may increase the likelihood of an accident, research in the 1980s by Dr. Russell Noyes suggested that, among patients with psychiatric disorders, those with alcoholism and antisocial personality traits accounted for most of the risk. The Utah Department of Public Safety asserts that most people under active treatment for schizophrenia are “relatively safe” drivers, and clearly says that one’s accident and violation record is a better predictor of driving risk than is a psychiatric diagnosis.

Still, drugs like clozapine can impair driving skills. And the doctor’s-office-based assessment of a patient’s driving skills is only moderately correlated with scores on standardized road tests.

Pot smokers and driving

DriveSafety — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 22:38:31 GMT

Though not a legal drug in this nation, I was reading an article on Reuters about men who smoke pop and drive. They take more risks. In the argument of legalizing marijuana, would those that have prescriptions be allowed to drive? And if so under what circumstances? Seems impossible to enforce. DMV exception stating person allowed to smoke pot?

April 9, 2009 – Harold, CA, USA