To many young teenagers, the privelage of getting their license is one of the best feelings. Kids feel more freedom, eagerness and the "need for speed". But there was a new study done and found that young adults who suffer from ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) can be putting themselves and others at risk on the road. Among the leading causes of deaths each year, motor vehicle crashes rank high up on the list and ADD and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) add to the problem. Russell Barkley, a psychiatry professor at the Medical University of South Carolina is an expert on driving and mental problems. He's been investigating this subject for 15 years and has conducted studies to prove why teens with ADD or ADHD can be viewed as hazardous to themselves as well as others. Barkley shows that people with these mental issues are three times more likely to have an accident and five times more likely to acquire a parking ticket.
Drivers who suffer from these conditions tend to be clumsy, impulsive, highly distracted, and can get bored quickly. Jerry Thielemann of Freedom and Mobility Driver Training and Evaluation in Marietta, Georgia says that "A person with ADD pays attention to someone walking down the street rather than a car coming toward them." This is potentially a very dangerous situation because they may not be able to focus on the road and could become distracted and immediately cause an accident. Reasearchers and driving instructors suggest that teens with these problems wait a little while until they are completely ready for a license and have more experience behind the wheel.
Research is showing that by limiting distractions such as cell phones, mp3 players, the radio and getting kids to take medication can increase the person's ability to pay attention to the road ahead. Don't drink and drive right? Well, it is dangerous in any situation, but for people with ADD it can be deadly. Young adults who have Attention Deficit Disorder are more sensitive to the effects of alcohol and cannot function properly when driving.
So, if you thought there were enough dangerous things to be worrying about on the road...well this is one more thing to look out for. We welcome your comments.
source: www.cnn.com
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7 comments:
Im sorry Mr Bancroft but this is BULL. Show me any teenage driver that isn't easily distracted, impulsive , or bored quickly and ill be amazed. Its the way our world is now that teenagers get bored quickly not ADD that causes this. Sure ADD can make these problems occur more but this is not the only reason why teens get into crashes.
i think you should have another person write this, i personally know this chick (i go to school with her) and she doesnt exactly respect people with disorders, the article is just talkin about how kids with ADD are not like other people and it isnt true this article was offensive and the person who wrote it should have a better understanding of people before they write these articles that obviously have sensitive topics, just makes it sound like just because kids have a disorder doesnt mean their more likely to get in a crash, this article was upsetting and disturbing, maybe you should think about what your going to write next time
Thank you for writing, Anonymous. Just so you know, the opinions expressed in the article did not come from the RHAM student. The source was CNN News. Here is a link to the original news story:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/09/15/hm.driving.add/index.html
Please read the original article at the link above and then write back. This is certainly a controversial topic.
The link is bad. Here's the text from CNN:
"It was hard to miss the bright yellow Student Driver bumper sticker on the back of the car driven by Tosha Mulligan.
Tosha Mullgian, 19, has attention deficit disorder. She says her mind wanders when she drives.
Getting a driver's license is a rite of passage for many teenagers, but the process was a bit more challenging for 19-year-old Mulligan of Acworth, Georgia. She has attention deficit disorder.
When she gets behind the wheel, she said, "Sometimes my mind wanders off."
She's not alone. Researchers reported driving can be a serious problem for teens with ADD and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Motor vehicle accidents already are the leading cause of death among teenagers in the U.S., according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Experts such as Russell Barkley say ADD and ADHD compound the problem.
Barkley, a psychiatry professor at the Medical University of South Carolina, is a widely recognized expert on ADD and driving. He has investigated the topic for 15 years and conducted a half-dozen studies, some of which have been published in peer-reviewed journals.
Teen drivers with ADD or ADHD "are impulsive, highly distractible and clumsy, can't pay attention to the roadway and they get bored easily," he said. Health Minute: More on teens driving with ADD/ADHD »
Mulligan's driving instructor, Jerry Thielemann of Freedom and Mobility Driver Training and Evaluation in Marietta, Georgia, experienced that firsthand. He works with teenagers with ADD three to four times a week.
"A person with ADD pays attention to someone walking down the street rather than a car coming toward them," Mulligan said. "They don't know what to focus on."
Barkley sees speeding as a key problem. "In general, people with ADHD speed four times more often than those without ADHD," he said.
His research shows that those with ADD or ADHD are two to three times more likely to have an auto accident, three times more likely in the first five to eight years of driving to have their licenses revoked and five times more likely to get a parking ticket.
In all three instances, Barkley pointed to the impatient and impulsive nature that is common among people with ADD or ADHD.
Chris Zeigler Dendy, author of "Teenagers with ADD and ADHD," raised a son and a stepson with the condition.
"We were worried sick about our kids when they started driving because both had ADHD," Dendy recalled. "They both started getting speeding tickets and having car wrecks. One of them even had his license suspended."
That was nearly 20 years ago. Today, Dendy said, she understands what was behind their troubles.
"I think the good news is that parents today are so much better informed than we were, plus laws have tightened up so you get one ticket or step out of line and your license is gone," she said.
Dendy credited proper medication with helping get her sons back on track.
"Research tells us that with medication they are more likely to pay attention to road signs and less likely to have road rage," Dendy explained.
She worried about parents who may not be as vigilant when it comes to monitoring their teen's driving behavior, especially during high-risk times.
"One is after school from 3 to 6 and the other is on weekend evenings," she said.
She mentioned those are often the hours when medication starts to wear off or when teens may be more likely to skip a dosage.
Barkley acknowledged the parents who decline to medicate their children who have ADD or ADHD, but he believes "Medication is more effective than any other treatment."
Barkley also cautioned that people with ADD are more sensitive to the effects of alcohol and are unable to drive safely after drinking.
Health Library
MayoClinic.com: ADD/ ADHD
He told teens to put away their cell phones, MP3 players and other items that might distract them while driving.
Barkley suggested parents closely monitor their teenagers and provide sign-in and sign-out sheets in the garage to track their whereabouts.
Dendy eventually drew up a contract with her children, spelling out specific rules and expectations for driving the family car.
Dendy and Barkley both recommended that teenagers with ADD or ADHD stay in a learner's permit program longer, at least a year, and put off getting their license until they have more experience behind the wheel.
That's what Tosha Mulligan did. She finished her last driving lesson the day before she left for her freshman year in college. She passed her driver's test on the first try and got her license.
She said waiting to get her license made a big difference. She said "It kept me focused." She reported no wrecks, no tickets and no problems so far."
why do you have people just summarizing news tories then isnt that kind of a waste of time, nvm though guess its not
One of our goals is to make students more aware of news that's going on that might be of interest to them, so we look for those on the 'net. Sort of like the big news organizations using the AP feed for their stories. But, if you read a few more posts, you'll see that we are also writing our own, local stories. Thanks for writing and stay tuned.
This article is not bull. I have a child just like this (not on meds) and was glad for this article .ADD kids ARE more distracted than "regular" teens - I have one of those teens too. It is important to get out different options for drivers like this as they ARE at higher risk for distractability.Even though this "chick" may not represent well, they ARE out there. Thanks for this article.
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