Driving After Traumatic Brain Injury | From the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center

Driving is an important part of a person’s independent lifestyle and integration into the community. Because we take our driving skills for granted, it is easy to forget that driving is the most dangerous thing we do in our everyday lives. A brain injury can affect the skills needed to drive safely. If and when an injured person may safely return to driving should be addressed early in recovery. The injured person, family members, and health professionals should all be included in this important decision. If anyone has concerns that that driving may put the injured person or others in danger, health professionals may recommend pre-driving testing.

How can a TBI affect driving ability?

A brain injury can disrupt and slow down skills that are essential for good driving, such as:

  • Ability to maintain a constant position in a lane.
  • Having accurate vision.
  • Maintaining concentration over long periods of time.
  • Memory functioning, such as recalling directions.
  • Figuring out solutions to problems.
  • Hand-eye coordination.
  • Reaction time.
  • Safety awareness and judgment.

Read the rest of this great article: Driving After Traumatic Brain Injury at the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center

Save

Save

Author: brokenbrilliant

I am a long-term multiple (mild) Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI or TBI) survivor who experienced assaults, falls, car accidents, sports-related injuries in the 1960s, '70s, '80s, and '90s. My last mild TBI was in 2004, but it was definitely the worst of the lot. I never received medical treatment for my injuries, some of which were sports injuries (and you have to get back in the game!), but I have been living very successfully with cognitive/behavioral (social, emotional, functional) symptoms and complications since I was a young kid. I’ve done it so well, in fact, that virtually nobody knows that I sustained those injuries… and the folks who do know, haven’t fully realized just how it’s impacted my life. It has impacted my life, however. In serious and debilitating ways. I’m coming out from behind the shields I’ve put up, in hopes of successfully addressing my own (invisible) challenges and helping others to see that sustaining a TBI is not the end of the world, and they can, in fact, live happy, fulfilled, productive lives in spite of it all.

3 thoughts on “Driving After Traumatic Brain Injury | From the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center”

  1. Excellent! I hope everyone will jump over to read the entire article – for their safety and that of everyone else on the road.
    xx,
    mgh
    (Madelyn Griffith-Haynie – ADDandSoMuchMore dot com)
    – ADD Coach Training Field founder; ADD Coaching co-founder –
    “It takes a village to educate a world!”

    Liked by 1 person

  2. It is a great read. The Model Systems have some excellent information on TBI, spinal cord injury, and burn injury. It’s really a wonderful initiative, and they’ve come a long way in the past years. I’ll be posting a lot more about their materials, for sure.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. I have written an article about the Brain Science Podcast due to be auto-posted this Monday, I believe. Be sure to pop over to read the info on Taub (last example). The other 4 examples have strong implications for healing, but Taub’s work is DIRECTLY relevant to TBI recovery.
    xx,
    mgh

    Liked by 1 person

Talk about this - No email is required

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.