ADHD is a significant problem in the United States, with 7.1 million children (11.4%) previously diagnosed with the disorder. Motor vehicle accidents are also a huge national problem, with 39,345 deaths in 2024 due to car crashes.
This study pinpoints a link between ADHD and motor vehicle accidents, with clear evidence that those suffering from the disorder are more likely to be involved in a car crash.
Before we closely consider that correlation, let’s first look at the states in which ADHD is most (and least) prevalent.
States With The Most ADHD Diagnoses
ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders during childhood and adolescence, often continuing into adulthood. Yet its prevalence in the U.S. varies, as the following statistics illustrate.
Louisiana and Mississippi (both 15.2%) feature the highest percentage of ADHD diagnoses. Here’s a list of the top five ADHD states (data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Louisiana and Mississippi (both 15.2%) feature the highest percentage of ADHD diagnoses. Here’s a list of the top five ADHD states (data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
| State | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Louisiana | 15.2% |
| Mississippi | 15.2% |
| South Carolina | 14.6% |
| Maine | 13.9% |
| West Virginia | 13.8% |
Conversely, here are the five states at the other end of the ADHD rankings table, led by California (5.6%).
States With The Fewest ADHD Diagnoses
| State | Percentage |
|---|---|
| California | 5.6% |
| Hawaii | 6.1% |
| Nevada | 7% |
| Illinois | 7.4% |
| New Mexico | 7.6% |
And, for a fuller picture, here are the states with the highest and lowest percentages of children treated for ADHD.
States With The Highest Number Of Children Treated For ADHD
| State | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Louisiana | 80.2% |
| Alabama | 79.5% |
| Nebraska | 79.2% |
| Montana | 78.9% |
| Kansas | 78.4% |
States With The Lowest Number Of Children Treated For ADHD
| State | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | 58.1% |
| New Jersey | 58.1% |
| Alaska | 60.9% |
| Washington | 64.2% |
| Nevada | 64.9% |
Of the 7.1 million U.S. children (11.4%) who have been diagnosed with ADHD, boys suffer far more. For children aged between 3 and 17 years, 15% of boys have been diagnosed, as opposed to 8.8% of girls.
White and Black children (both 12%), Hispanic (10%), and American Indian/Alaska Native children (10%) were far more often diagnosed with ADHD than Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (6%) or Asian children (4%).
Current estimates regarding any treatment of children for ADHD in the U.S. vary between 58% and 92% across states. Among children diagnosed with the disorder in 2023, 32% received treatment. In 2016, only 23% of children suffering from ADHD were treated for the disorder. Overall, the total number of children receiving ADHD treatment increased from 2016 (2.5 million) to 2022 (2.8 million).
The number of U.S. cases of ADHD is steadily rising: In 2003, 7.8% of children were diagnosed with the disorder; in 2007, the percentage rose to 9.5% of U.S. children. With that figure currently at 11.4%, the rise in ADHD is worrying: not just from a mental health perspective, but also due to the increasing risk it represents to U.S. drivers.
Rising ADHD Levels Mean Increased Motor Vehicle Risk
Various studies confirm that 40%–70% of people diagnosed with ADHD in childhood continue to suffer with the disorder as adults. Yet ADHD symptoms for children are not the same as those experienced by adults.
For adults, the consequences of ADHD include problematic interpersonal relationships (including with spouses and parents), difficulties with learning and absorbing information, alcohol and drug abuse, antisocial behavior, and a higher susceptibility to accidents and injuries.
The latter example directly links to motor vehicle accidents, with the effects of ADHD in adults extending to car safety. According to study estimates, the likelihood of an adult diagnosed with ADHD being involved in an accident is at least twice that of those who haven’t been diagnosed with the disorder.
And, due to their unique combination of personality traits, drivers with ADHD have a 36% increased risk of a traffic crash compared to drivers who don’t suffer from ADHD.
ADHD-related Safety Tests
Test data tells us that, within their first month of driving, teens with ADHD are 62% more likely than non-ADHD peers to be involved in an automobile crash.
And, over the first four years of having a license, drivers with ADHD are 37% more likely to crash while driving, twice as likely to drive while intoxicated, and 150% more likely to receive an alcohol, drug, or moving violation compared to non-ADHD peers.
Yet key research indicates that ADHD medication – especially stimulants – can improve driving safety and mitigate risk for drivers with ADHD (and other drivers on the road).
During a simulated driving study, a combination of ADHD medication and placebos was given to a group of people diagnosed with ADHD. The results showed that the medicated group exhibited faster reaction times to unexpected events (9.1% faster, on average) than the group subject to placebos.
Additionally, during the unexpected driving events, drivers in the medicated group were 67% less likely to crash than drivers from the placebo group.
ADHD Medication = Less Motor Vehicle Accidents
Further data from the BMJ Group augments the fact that ADHD medication can lead to positive outcomes. After taking into account variable factors, including age, gender, education level, other psychiatric diagnoses, and medical history, ADHD medication was associated with reduced rates of a first occurrence across multiple outcomes.
They include a 17% reduction in suicidal behavior, a 15% drop in substance misuse, 13% fewer criminal incidents, and 12% fewer transport accidents. The figures among people who had been involved in recurrent events were even better overall, with 15% less suicidal behavior, a 25% fall in substance misuse, a 4% drop in accidental injuries, 25% fewer instances of criminal behavior, and 16% fewer transport accidents.
Ultimately, the benefits of ADHD medicine in lowering accident rates are clear. And there are so many reasons to extol its wider application, as we can see when we look closely at how the disorder affects drivers.
ADHD Crash Risk: A Statistical Breakdown
According to additional study data, drivers diagnosed with ADHD are generally:
- 8 times more likely to lose their license
- 4 times more likely by involved in a collision
- 3 times more likely to sustain a serious injury
- 2 – 4 times more likely to receive a motor vehicle violation.
Among those involved in a crash during the first two years after they’ve received their license, drivers with ADHD were 9% more likely to be at fault for the crash (74% of ADHD drivers vs. 67% of those without ADHD).
The most common reasons for a crash among all drivers were inattention, followed by speeding, and a failure to yield the right-of-way. Yet drivers with ADHD were 15% more likely to be inattentive than those not diagnosed with ADHD, and the proportion of female drivers with ADHD who crashed due to speeding was over 1.5 times higher than those without ADHD.
And these issues don’t improve with age. A Columbia University study involving 2832 drivers aged between 65 and 79 (75 of whom – 2.6% – had been diagnosed with ADHD) perfectly illustrates the fact that ADHD driver danger is a lifelong problem.
Drivers with ADHD have a 36% increased risk of a traffic crash compared to drivers who don’t suffer from ADHD
Study results confirm that older adult drivers with ADHD were more than twice as likely as drivers without ADHD to be involved in both traffic ticket events and car crashes.
Drivers with ADHD also represented a 7% higher risk of being involved in a hard-braking event, a 102% higher risk of self-reporting a traffic ticket event, and a 74% higher risk of a self-reported car crash.
The Future of Driving With ADHD
As study data clearly illustrate, there is a clear link between ADHD and a consequent increase in motor vehicle incidents, with drivers with ADHD (especially teens and older adults) representing a far higher level of road risk.
This study also establishes that distracted driving is about far more than simply texting or looking at a device while driving: it may also often be due to ADHD, a serious neurocognitive issue that affects attention levels.
Drivers with ADHD frequently struggle while driving along monotonous or quiet roads that demand apparently little attention: they’re more likely to be distracted, miss sudden cues, or fail to react sufficiently to avert an accident. They’re also more likely to speed and drive while intoxicated.
Yet with the proper administration of the right medication, and better education and insight regarding the issue, these risk factors can be dramatically reduced.
So it’s paramount that all drivers suffering from ADHD take the requisite medication before driving. As the information revealed by this study proves, a failure to take this crucial step would mean taking an unnecessary and potentially fatal risk.
At Anidjar & Levine, we know how dangerous our roads can be. Our personal injury law firm offers legal services to Floridians and visitors injured in car crashes. To start a free initial consultation, contact us today.
