Wojtczak: Does ADHD make learning to drive more difficult for teenagers?

Maria Wojtczak

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By Maria Wojtczak | DrivingMBA

Research shows that drivers with ADHD are 62% more likely to be involved in a vehicle collision in the first month after getting their license than a typical beginner. They are also 37% more likely to be in an accident within the first four years of getting their license, regardless of their age.

October is National Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Awareness Month. A 2024 Center for Disease Control report reveals that more than 7 million children and adolescents in the United States have been diagnosed with ADHD at some point in their lives. This represents approximately 12% of children aged 3 to 17.

For neurodivergent teen drivers, the learning process may be different, but the state requirements for obtaining a driver’s license are the same. Driving schools, like DrivingMBA, offer specialized programs aimed at inexperienced drivers living with learning issues such as ADHD, anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and bipolar disorder.

Driving safely is an important, if not the most important, life skill for a teenager to master. If not done correctly, the consequences can be devastating. Exceptional learners need time, commitment and patience to develop safe driving skills.

People with learning disabilities may have difficulty with executive functions and motor coordination, be easily distracted, have problems communicating, and have slower reaction times.

Experienced driving instructors often begin the assessment process on a driving simulator to assess a student’s readiness before there is a risk of injury on the road, followed by individual instruction and critical assessment of the potential driver’s skills before getting behind the wheel.

Parents of teens with ADHD and other learning disabilities sometimes struggle to work with their teens to develop the skills and behaviors needed to become safe and responsible drivers. This is one of the main reasons why companies like DrivingMBA exist. For over two decades, we have worked with all types of students and understand what it takes to develop safe, successful drivers.

Editor’s note: Maria Wojtczak is CEO and co-founder of DrivingMBAa driving school located in Glendale and Scottsdale. Reader reactions, for or against, are welcome on [email protected].