Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCan People With Epilepsy Drive?Getting and Keeping a LicenseSeizure MedicationFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Can People With Epilepsy Drive?
Getting and Keeping a License
Seizure Medication
Frequently Asked Questions
Whether you can drive withepilepsydepends on your specific diagnosis, treatment, and the laws in your state.Epilepsyis a neurological condition that results inseizures. Because seizures can come on unpredictably and without warning and cause involuntary behaviors including loss of consciousness, driving when you have epilepsy poses some risks.
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Some states may allow you to drive with epilepsy under certain restrictions. For example, you might be allowed to drive only during the day, to and from work, or during an emergency.
If your seizures only occur during sleep, do not involveloss of consciousness, and you have warning signs (like anaura, for which you have a sensory experience before your seizure), you might be a candidate for a restricted license.
The inability to drive or restrictions on driving are significant difficulties for many people, especially those who do not have access to adequate public transportation. For example, a 2019 study published inNeuroepidemiologyfound that up to 39% of people with epilepsy drove in violation of restrictions.
Getting and Keeping Your License With Epilepsy
Licensing
When you apply for a license, most states will ask questions about your health that could impact your ability to drive safely. These may include questions about whether you have ever experienced a loss of consciousness or voluntary movement. If you have epilepsy, you must disclose this information when applying for a license.
Having epilepsydoes not necessarily mean you can’t obtain a driver’s license. That depends on your state’s rules and whether you can drive safely without the risk of injuring yourself or other people. States will often require a medical exam and a report from a physician stating that your condition is under control and that they believe you can safely operate a motor vehicle.
Review and Decision Process
In most states, decisions about whether to issue a driver’s license rest with the state’s department of motor vehicles or the secretary of state. Sometimes, a state’s medical advisory board will evaluate the situation and make a decision. Usually, there are appeals processes in place in case you disagree with their decision.
In addition, specific modifiers may favorably impact decisions about licensure. For example, in some states, the following situations may allow you to get your license sooner or obtain a restricted or probationary license:
An Overview of Level of Consciousness (LOC)
Mandatory Reporting Laws
Not all states require that physicians report people with epilepsy, but some do. Physicians may be fined for failing to report in states requiring reporting. In addition, they may be charged in a lawsuit if an accident results. States that require reporting include:
The impetus behind mandatory reporting is to keep you and other people safe. But reporting is generally a sticky situation because it compromises thedoctor-patient relationship.
Personal Liability
In addition to state requirements, if you have epilepsy, it’s important to consider your personal liability while driving. For example, you could be held civilly or criminally liable if you drive against medical advice, without a license, or if you withhold information about seizures from the department of motor vehicles.
Maintaining Your License
Your state will likely require annual reporting to maintain your license when you have epilepsy. This often involves obtaining a note from your healthcare provider stating your seizure history and their opinion on whether you can drive safely.
After a certain seizure-free period, most states will no longer require ongoing reporting to maintain your license.This period is usually between three and five years.
Does Seizure Medication Impact Your Driving Ability?
Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), also called anti-seizure medications or anticonvulsants, are prescription medications that prevent seizures. AEDs have potential side effects that could impact driving, including:
According to a 2018 study of more than 29,000 people with epilepsy in Sweden, the authors found that those with epilepsy were about 30% more likely to crash their car than those without it. However, the fatal car crash rate was less than 0.1%.
The most important finding of this study is that AEDs did not appear to play a significant role in crashes with people with epilepsy requiring medical attention.
Other research has also found that people on AEDs do not have statistically significant driving differences from those who don’t have seizures.
For example, a 2021 study inSeizureevaluated the driving performance of people with epilepsy who took AEDs for their condition and compared them to a healthy control group.Researchers found that their driving performance was not different from that of the control group.
Summary
Many states require annual reporting from a physician to maintain your license. If you’ve been seizure-free for a certain amount of time, you may be able to forgo the reporting requirement.
Learn MoreSeizure Causes and Prevention
Though some research indicates a moderate to no increase in car accidents in people with epilepsy, other research suggests an accident rate of 1.13–2.16 times that of healthy subjects.Overall, driving restrictions have eased over the years because epilepsy can be controlled with AEDs and because well-controlled epilepsy does not pose an extraordinary risk to traffic safety compared to other risk factors, such as age and other medical conditions.Learn MoreRisks and Complications of Epileptic Seizures
Though some research indicates a moderate to no increase in car accidents in people with epilepsy, other research suggests an accident rate of 1.13–2.16 times that of healthy subjects.Overall, driving restrictions have eased over the years because epilepsy can be controlled with AEDs and because well-controlled epilepsy does not pose an extraordinary risk to traffic safety compared to other risk factors, such as age and other medical conditions.
Though some research indicates a moderate to no increase in car accidents in people with epilepsy, other research suggests an accident rate of 1.13–2.16 times that of healthy subjects.
Overall, driving restrictions have eased over the years because epilepsy can be controlled with AEDs and because well-controlled epilepsy does not pose an extraordinary risk to traffic safety compared to other risk factors, such as age and other medical conditions.
Learn MoreRisks and Complications of Epileptic Seizures
If you have photosensitive epilepsy, certain visual stimuli during driving could trigger a seizure. For example, bright sunlight reflection or flashing lights on emergency vehicles may be a trigger while driving for some people.Learn MorePhotosensitive Epilepsy
If you have photosensitive epilepsy, certain visual stimuli during driving could trigger a seizure. For example, bright sunlight reflection or flashing lights on emergency vehicles may be a trigger while driving for some people.
Learn MorePhotosensitive Epilepsy
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Epilepsy Foundation.Driving and transportation.
Xu Y, Shanthosh J, Zhou Z, et al.Prevalence of driving and traffic accidents among people with seizures: a systematic review.Neuroepidemiology. 2019;53(1-2):1-12. doi:10.1159/000500599
Drazkowski J.Epilepsy, antiepilepsy drugs, and serious car crashes.Neurology.2018;90(13)e1180e1182. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000005221
Saji M, Kanemoto K, Matsuoka E, Iwamoto K.Impact of antiepileptic drugs on simulated driving in patients with epilepsy.Seizure. 2021;92:195-199. doi:10.1016/j.seizure.2021.09.003
Chen WC, Chen EY, Gebre RZ, et al.Epilepsy and driving: potential impact of transient impaired consciousness.Epilepsy Behav. 2014;30:50-57. doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2013.09.024
Epilepsy Foundation.Photosensitivity and seizures.
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