| Alzheimer’s disease | Drivers with Alzheimer’s disease have impaired identification of landmarks and road-signs. This leads to more safety errors, perhaps by increasing the cognitive load.7 |
| Parkinson’s disease | Drivers with Parkinson’s disease are rated as “less safe” than age-matched controls by driving instructors. More than half would have failed a standard driving test. Errors occur when targeted, swift movements are needed. Unsafe drivers do not have sufficient insight into their ability.8 |
| Head injury | The commonest reason for not returning to driving following a head injury is post-traumatic epilepsy. Of those that return to driving about two thirds report memory impairment and about one half behavioural change (such as anger, aggression or irritability). Not everyone who is ineligible is told that they should not drive and 5/563 drove despite knowing they should not, or had been advised that they should not drive.9 |
| Epilepsy | Epilepsy surgery is a further barrier to returning to driving for people with seizures. A significant minority of people have their visual fields reduced by the surgery, sufficient to fail the assessments.10 |
| Stroke | Using the pre-driving assessment of the Belgian Road Safety Institute (medical examination, visual and neuropsychological test and an on-road test) predictors of “fitness to drive” (again meaning ability) have been sought.11 |