Driving and dementia

#### Summary points Dementia is important in relation to driving. As the disease progresses the ability to drive safely is eventually lost and at that point current regulations demand that driving stops. Many patients continue to drive after dementia has been diagnosed,1 2 3 4 5w10 however, and withdrawal of their licence should not be undertaken lightly. A study highlighted the negative consequences of stopping people with dementia from driving.w11 Stopping driving can limit access to family, friends, and services and is an independent risk factor for entry to a nursing home.w12 Traffic medicine has evolved significantly since the 1990s, with more emphasis on preserving mobility. As populations age and increasing numbers of older people drivew1 general practitioners are key players in ensuring that older people are not constrained by an unfair attribution of risk. Health professionals, however, practise in a society where the perception of older drivers is negative.w2 This may stem from misconceptions about the impact of age related disease on driving: these misunderstandings also apply to medical journals, which commonly reproduce statements on the apparent increase …