Teen boys with ADHD at greater risk for car collisions

By Staff Writer

Researchers at the University of Toronto have found that teenage boys with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other childhood disruptive behavior disorders are more likely than other teens to be involved in motor vehicle collisions.

The study, which is published in the latest issue of PLoS Medicine, found that teen boys with a history of disruptive behavior disorder have a one-third greater risk than other teens for auto-related trauma.

Over a period of seven years, the researchers studied 3,421 male teens aged 16 to 19 who were admitted to a hospital in Ontario after a motor vehicle collision, including those who were pedestrians involved in crashes. A history of a disruptive behavior disorder such as ADHD accounted for about one in 20 crashes, including pedestrians.

Despite the greater risk of car crashes associated with disruptive behavior disorder diagnoses, the study authors caution that the increased risk "does not by itself justify withholding a driver's licence."

A recent report by U.S. health officials reveals that the number of children diagnosed with ADHD jumped by nearly 22 percent from 2003 to 2007.