One of the most common questions people ask after undergoing a medical procedure is “When can I start driving again?” When the procedure is related to an orthopedic injury, the concern is all the greater.
As an orthopedic injury heals, you may not be allowed to move the injured body part for a long period of time. This is especially true if you’ve hadsurgeryor are nursing a seriousfracture.
This article explains factors that affect when you can drive again after certain types of orthopedic surgeries and steps to recovery. It also discusses the role your doctor plays in helping you determine when you’re ready to get behind the wheel.
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When Can I Drive?
There are a number of factors you need to consider when determining if it’s safe to start driving after surgery.
You’ve Been Given a Sedative
After taking any sedative medication, you shouldn’t drive for at least 24 hours.This includesgeneral anesthesiaandconscious sedation. These medications don’t put you totally out but do make you less aware and are used to block pain. With the anesthesia medications isoflurane, it’s recommended that you wait even longer, from two to four days.
What to Know About Driving and Anesthesia
Range of Motion Is Limited
Being able to move your neck, spine, shoulder, elbow, wrists, knees, ankles, and feet is essential. If your movements are impaired because of braces or stiffness, your reaction time will be much slower when trying to brake.Impaired movement can delay the time it takes to check mirrors or avoid an accident.
Exceptions may include an injury to your left knee, ankle, or foot. In those instances, you may be able to drive safely if your car is automatic (which means you don’t need the left leg to shift gears) and if the injury doesn’t change the way you sit in the seat.
How Range of Motion Is Measured
You’re Experiencing Pain
Pain that limits your mobility can affect your driving. As with braces, pain can cause you to move more slowly, which increases the risk of having an accident.If your pain comes and goes, it’s still dangerous because a sudden, unexpected twinge can cause you to swerve, apply more pressure on the gas, or become distracted. All those reactions can cause problems on the road.
RecapAnesthesia or other sedative medications can impair driving for at least 24 hours. If you’re taking opioid painkillers, you may not be able to drive until you stop using them.If any joint has been placed in a cast or brace, you should avoid driving even if it’s a soft brace or bandage since your range of motion is still restricted. Don’t drive if you’re experiencing pain since it can lead you to become suddenly distracted or unable to move freely.
Recap
Anesthesia or other sedative medications can impair driving for at least 24 hours. If you’re taking opioid painkillers, you may not be able to drive until you stop using them.If any joint has been placed in a cast or brace, you should avoid driving even if it’s a soft brace or bandage since your range of motion is still restricted. Don’t drive if you’re experiencing pain since it can lead you to become suddenly distracted or unable to move freely.
Doctor Advice
Speak with your doctor about whether or not you seem ready to start driving after surgery. If you received anesthesia, there should be specific restrictions related to the type of medication you were given. Your doctor should also advise you about whether driving is safe while taking any prescription medication.
However, despite what some people might tell you, you don’t need an official medical “clearance” or “release” to drive a car. Deciding whether or not you’re ready to drive should not hinge on getting permission from your doctor.
While doctors canadviseyou about whether you’re ready to operate a vehicle, their opinion doesn’t hold any legal force.
Insurance Requirements
If you return to driving after an injury or surgery, you may need to check with your insurance company to ensure they’re satisfied that you’re able to drive safely. While many insurance companies may not cover you if you’re in an accident while wearing a cast or brace, if you’re taking painkillers, if you have an unhealed fracture, or if you’ve had “recent” surgery (they need to define for you what they deem “recent”), some will.
Legal Determination
The only way to legally confirm that you’re capable of driving is to take a test with an appropriately trained licensing authority. This is typically arranged through your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or Department of Transportation (DOT).
Getting an evaluation from the DMV or DOT may be necessary if you’ve undergone a long-term recovery. If you drive for a living, you may need to take this step to prove you’re able to return to work. It may also be necessary if you’re permanently impaired and need to confirm that this injury won’t affect your ability to drive.
Average Recovery Time
How soon you’re able to drive after surgery varies from one person to the next. However, some studies have provided insight into which injuries may require the most attention when deciding whether you’re ready to drive again.
In a review of 48 studies covering 20 common orthopedic procedures, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore and Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia made the following observations:
Summary
Everyone’s journey to recovery from surgery or orthopedic injury is unique. There are some general guidelines about how long it can take to return to driving after different types of surgeries, but in the end, you need to make a decision based on your personal needs and abilities.
However, you must follow specific restrictions if you’ve been given anesthesia or other medications. If you have limited movement of a body part or pain, you may need to avoid driving for an extended period of time. That’s because slower response times and limited range of motion put you at risk for an accident.
Your doctor can advise you about when driving might be safe, but you should also consider guidelines from your insurance company. If you need to legally prove you’re capable of driving, you’ll need to have an evaluation done through your DMV or the DOT.
10 SourcesVerywell 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.MacKenzie JS, Bitzer AM, Familiari F, Papalia R, McFarland EG.Driving after upper or lower extremity orthopaedic surgery.Joints. 2018;06(04):232-240. doi:10.1055/s-0039-1678562Summerlin-Grady L, Austin PN, Gabaldon DA.Safe driving after propofol sedation.Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing. 2017;32(5):464-471. doi:0.1016/j.jopan.2016.01.005Pollard A, Marr R.Driving advice after isoflurane anaesthesia.Anaesthesia. 2014;69(9):1062-1063. doi:10.1111/anae.12809Pergolizzi, Jr, MD JV, Taylor, Jr, PhD R, Bisney, MA J, et al.Driving under the influence of opioids: What prescribers should know.J of Opioid Management. 2018;14(6):415-427. doi:10.5055/jom.2018.0474Latz D, Schiffner E, Schneppendahl J, et al.Doctor, when can I drive? — Range of functional ankle motion during driving.Foot and Ankle Surgery. 2020;26(8):924-929. doi:10.1016/j.fas.2019.12.006Dammerer D, Waidmann C, Haid C, Thaler M, Krismer M, Liebensteiner MC.The effect of ankle brace type on braking response time-A randomised study.Injury. 2015;46(11):2278-2282. doi:10.1016/j.injury.2015.07.038Coyle PC, Schrack JA, Hicks GE.Pain energy model of mobility limitation in the older adult.Pain Med. 2018;19(8):1559-1569. doi:10.1093/pm/pnx089Dineen KK, DuBois JM.Between a rock and a hard place: can physicians prescribe opioids to treat pain adequately while avoiding legal sanction?Am J Law Med. 2016;42(1):7-52. doi:10.1177/0098858816644712Gandhi MJ, Freitas D, Lewis M, et al.Who should answer the question: “Can I drive with this plaster cast?“The Surgeon. 2014;12(1):26-31. doi:10.1016/j.surge.2013.05.006Disilvestro KJ, Santoro AJ, Tjoumakaris FP, Levicoff EA, Freedman KB.When can I drive after orthopaedic surgery? A systematic review.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2016;474(12):2557-2570. doi:10.1007/s11999-016-5007-9
10 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.MacKenzie JS, Bitzer AM, Familiari F, Papalia R, McFarland EG.Driving after upper or lower extremity orthopaedic surgery.Joints. 2018;06(04):232-240. doi:10.1055/s-0039-1678562Summerlin-Grady L, Austin PN, Gabaldon DA.Safe driving after propofol sedation.Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing. 2017;32(5):464-471. doi:0.1016/j.jopan.2016.01.005Pollard A, Marr R.Driving advice after isoflurane anaesthesia.Anaesthesia. 2014;69(9):1062-1063. doi:10.1111/anae.12809Pergolizzi, Jr, MD JV, Taylor, Jr, PhD R, Bisney, MA J, et al.Driving under the influence of opioids: What prescribers should know.J of Opioid Management. 2018;14(6):415-427. doi:10.5055/jom.2018.0474Latz D, Schiffner E, Schneppendahl J, et al.Doctor, when can I drive? — Range of functional ankle motion during driving.Foot and Ankle Surgery. 2020;26(8):924-929. doi:10.1016/j.fas.2019.12.006Dammerer D, Waidmann C, Haid C, Thaler M, Krismer M, Liebensteiner MC.The effect of ankle brace type on braking response time-A randomised study.Injury. 2015;46(11):2278-2282. doi:10.1016/j.injury.2015.07.038Coyle PC, Schrack JA, Hicks GE.Pain energy model of mobility limitation in the older adult.Pain Med. 2018;19(8):1559-1569. doi:10.1093/pm/pnx089Dineen KK, DuBois JM.Between a rock and a hard place: can physicians prescribe opioids to treat pain adequately while avoiding legal sanction?Am J Law Med. 2016;42(1):7-52. doi:10.1177/0098858816644712Gandhi MJ, Freitas D, Lewis M, et al.Who should answer the question: “Can I drive with this plaster cast?“The Surgeon. 2014;12(1):26-31. doi:10.1016/j.surge.2013.05.006Disilvestro KJ, Santoro AJ, Tjoumakaris FP, Levicoff EA, Freedman KB.When can I drive after orthopaedic surgery? A systematic review.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2016;474(12):2557-2570. doi:10.1007/s11999-016-5007-9
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.
MacKenzie JS, Bitzer AM, Familiari F, Papalia R, McFarland EG.Driving after upper or lower extremity orthopaedic surgery.Joints. 2018;06(04):232-240. doi:10.1055/s-0039-1678562Summerlin-Grady L, Austin PN, Gabaldon DA.Safe driving after propofol sedation.Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing. 2017;32(5):464-471. doi:0.1016/j.jopan.2016.01.005Pollard A, Marr R.Driving advice after isoflurane anaesthesia.Anaesthesia. 2014;69(9):1062-1063. doi:10.1111/anae.12809Pergolizzi, Jr, MD JV, Taylor, Jr, PhD R, Bisney, MA J, et al.Driving under the influence of opioids: What prescribers should know.J of Opioid Management. 2018;14(6):415-427. doi:10.5055/jom.2018.0474Latz D, Schiffner E, Schneppendahl J, et al.Doctor, when can I drive? — Range of functional ankle motion during driving.Foot and Ankle Surgery. 2020;26(8):924-929. doi:10.1016/j.fas.2019.12.006Dammerer D, Waidmann C, Haid C, Thaler M, Krismer M, Liebensteiner MC.The effect of ankle brace type on braking response time-A randomised study.Injury. 2015;46(11):2278-2282. doi:10.1016/j.injury.2015.07.038Coyle PC, Schrack JA, Hicks GE.Pain energy model of mobility limitation in the older adult.Pain Med. 2018;19(8):1559-1569. doi:10.1093/pm/pnx089Dineen KK, DuBois JM.Between a rock and a hard place: can physicians prescribe opioids to treat pain adequately while avoiding legal sanction?Am J Law Med. 2016;42(1):7-52. doi:10.1177/0098858816644712Gandhi MJ, Freitas D, Lewis M, et al.Who should answer the question: “Can I drive with this plaster cast?“The Surgeon. 2014;12(1):26-31. doi:10.1016/j.surge.2013.05.006Disilvestro KJ, Santoro AJ, Tjoumakaris FP, Levicoff EA, Freedman KB.When can I drive after orthopaedic surgery? A systematic review.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2016;474(12):2557-2570. doi:10.1007/s11999-016-5007-9
MacKenzie JS, Bitzer AM, Familiari F, Papalia R, McFarland EG.Driving after upper or lower extremity orthopaedic surgery.Joints. 2018;06(04):232-240. doi:10.1055/s-0039-1678562
Summerlin-Grady L, Austin PN, Gabaldon DA.Safe driving after propofol sedation.Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing. 2017;32(5):464-471. doi:0.1016/j.jopan.2016.01.005
Pollard A, Marr R.Driving advice after isoflurane anaesthesia.Anaesthesia. 2014;69(9):1062-1063. doi:10.1111/anae.12809
Pergolizzi, Jr, MD JV, Taylor, Jr, PhD R, Bisney, MA J, et al.Driving under the influence of opioids: What prescribers should know.J of Opioid Management. 2018;14(6):415-427. doi:10.5055/jom.2018.0474
Latz D, Schiffner E, Schneppendahl J, et al.Doctor, when can I drive? — Range of functional ankle motion during driving.Foot and Ankle Surgery. 2020;26(8):924-929. doi:10.1016/j.fas.2019.12.006
Dammerer D, Waidmann C, Haid C, Thaler M, Krismer M, Liebensteiner MC.The effect of ankle brace type on braking response time-A randomised study.Injury. 2015;46(11):2278-2282. doi:10.1016/j.injury.2015.07.038
Coyle PC, Schrack JA, Hicks GE.Pain energy model of mobility limitation in the older adult.Pain Med. 2018;19(8):1559-1569. doi:10.1093/pm/pnx089
Dineen KK, DuBois JM.Between a rock and a hard place: can physicians prescribe opioids to treat pain adequately while avoiding legal sanction?Am J Law Med. 2016;42(1):7-52. doi:10.1177/0098858816644712
Gandhi MJ, Freitas D, Lewis M, et al.Who should answer the question: “Can I drive with this plaster cast?“The Surgeon. 2014;12(1):26-31. doi:10.1016/j.surge.2013.05.006
Disilvestro KJ, Santoro AJ, Tjoumakaris FP, Levicoff EA, Freedman KB.When can I drive after orthopaedic surgery? A systematic review.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2016;474(12):2557-2570. doi:10.1007/s11999-016-5007-9
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