Study recommends that teens with ADHD gain doctor's approval before driving

By Staff Writer

Researchers at the University of Toronto said that teenagers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) should receive medical clearance before receiving their driver's license.

According to The Calgary Herald, a research group studied 3,421 adolescents who were hospitalized following a car crash. It found that approximately 767 had been diagnosed with a behavior issue within the last decade. Of those cases, more than 400 teens had ADHD.

The lead author said that children with ADHD should not be banned from driving, but he suggested that the learning condition should be on the list of notifiable medical conditions for drivers, according to the news provider.

He added that the test group's demographic - teen boys between 16 and 19 - account for about 6 percent of all motor vehicle accidents. Researchers believe that number is alarmingly high considering adolescent males make up a small minority of the total drivers on the road.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that approximately 9.5 percent of American children in 2008 had been diagnosed with ADHD, which is the highest level since doctors began diagnosing learning disabilities.