Return to Driving After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: Increased Risk of Traffic Accidents and Personal Responsibility

Objective: To determine the frequency of road traffic accidents among individuals who start or resume driving after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to investigate their responsibility for these accidents. Design: Observational/retrospective study. Participants: Sixty adults with severe TBI and their caregivers. Measures: Return to Driving Questionnaire and Glasgow Outcome Scale. Results: Thirty of the 60 participants started to drive or resumed driving after TBI. Nineteen (63%) of them were involved in traffic accidents, with personal responsibility in 26 of 36 after return to driving. Participants caused a significantly higher number of accidents after TBI than before. Conclusions: The ability to drive is frequently compromised after severe TBI. Specific rehabilitation of this complex activity should be a main goal of social reintegration programs in this population.