Restricted driving for people with epilepsy

Most countries restrict and regulate driving privileges for people with epilepsy. Some also restrict driving in people with other conditions that may lead to impaired consciousness. The specifics of such restrictions vary greatly from country to country and often reflect the emotions engendered by the issue. All policies are limited by the paucity of data available about the actual risks associated with epilepsy and driving. Two issues—public safety impact and individual impact—must be considered. Public safety impact concerns the contribution of epilepsy to motor vehicle accidents (MVA) in the population. Overall, the number of accidents in the population due to drivers with epilepsy is small—∼1/10,000 in one study1—compared to the number due to other preventable causes such as alcohol consumption, which accounts for 5 to 10% of accidents in the United States and elsewhere. These observations do not distinguish between accidents caused by drivers who are, versus those who are not, in compliance with driving restrictions. Those who violate restrictions may also be self-selected to be poorer drivers in addition to having an increased risk due to the occurrence of seizures while driving. The relative …