ABSTRACT
The chapters up to this point have discussed factors that put teen and novice drivers at an elevated risk of collision. A number of these are relevant to the discussion of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
14.1 Introduction .......................................................................................211 14.2 ADHD: Symptoms, Prevalence, Comorbidities........................... 212
Symptoms • Prevalence • Comorbidities 14.3 ADHD and Driving .......................................................................... 214
Acknowledgments ........................................................................................223 References ......................................................................................................223
(ADHD). For example, the problem of ADHD is best understood from a neurodevelopmental perspective, as it is associated with both delayed development of and dysregulation of the structure and function in major brain pathways (specifically, the frontal-subcortical-cerebellar pathways) that govern attention, inhibitory control, response to reward and emotion regulation, salience thresholds, and motor behavior. Thus, the discussion on developmental and social emotional factors in Chapters 9 and 10 may be of interest. Furthermore, teens with ADHD face some of the same challenges as other teens relating to peers (see Chapter 16). In fact, given that adolescents diagnosed with ADHD are more likely to associate with others who are also at risk, they may be especially likely to reinforce each other in dangerous driving practices, a tendency that may be particularly evident in girls (Cardoos et al., 2013; Laucht et al., 2007). However, there are issues that are unique to ADHD, ones that put teen drivers with ADHD at even higher risk than other drivers their age. For example, in an editorial, Winston et al. (2013) likened the combination of novice drivers with ADHD and the recent proliferation of distracting in-vehicle technologies to the perfect storm, suggesting the urgent need for additive interventions aimed at reducing the risk of young drivers with ADHD.
