Inattention Biggest Problem Behind the Wheel

ADDers are less safe behind the wheel than non-ADDers, but why? A new study, led by Joseph Biederman, M.D., of Harvard Medical School in Boston, suggests that inattention may be the reason.

Using a driving simulator, Dr. Biederman and his colleagues tested 20 adults with ADHD and 21 adults without ADHD. Under conditions designed to bring out impulsivity or hyperactive behavior, such as heavy traffic, the ADDers drove just as safely as non-ADDers. But after a monotonous stretch of highway driving, ADDers took much longer to react to potential hazards. When a dog ran into the road ahead, they were twice as likely to hit it than the non-ADDers.

The study was published last January in the Annals of General Psychiatry.