Wojtczak: Does ADHD make learning to drive harder for teens?

Maria Wojtczak

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Research shows that drivers with ADHD are 62% more likely to be in a vehicle collision the first month after receiving their license than a typical beginner. They are also 37% more likely to experience a crash during the first four years of having their license, regardless of age.

October is National Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Awareness Month. A 2024 Center for Disease Control report finds that more than 7 million children and adolescents in the U.S. received an ADHD diagnosis at some point in their lives. That is roughly 12% of kids aged 3 to 17.

For neurodivergent teen drivers, the learning process may be different but the state requirements to attain a driving license are the same. Driving schools, like DrivingMBA, offer specialized programs that cater to inexperienced drivers living with learning challenges such as ADHD, anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and bipolar disorder.

Safe driving is an important — if not the most important — life skill to master for a teen. If it’s not done properly there can be devastating consequences. Exceptional learners require time, commitment and patience to develop safe driving skills.

Individuals with learning disorders can have challenges with executive function, motor coordination, become easily distracted, experience communication issues and have slower reaction times.

Experienced driving instructors often start the assessment process on a driving simulator to gauge a student’s readiness before there is any risk of injury on the actual road followed by one-on-one instruction and critical assessment of the potential driver’s skillset before getting behind the wheel.

Parents of adolescents with ADHD and other learning disorders sometimes find it difficult to work with their teens in developing the skills and the behaviors necessary to become safe and responsible drivers. That is a big reason why companies like DrivingMBA exist. For more than two decades, we have worked with all types of students and understand what it takes to educate safe and successful drivers.

Editor’s note: Maria Wojtczak is CEO and co-founder of DrivingMBA, a driving school with locations in Glendale and Scottsdale. Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.