Driving disability and dizziness.
OBJECTIVE
People with dizziness caused by vestibular (i.e., inner ear) disorders complain of difficulty driving. Physicians occasionally warn their patients with vestibular disorders not to drive. Few studies have asked patients about their driving performance, so little data are available.


METHODS
Using the Driving Habits Questionnaire, the authors did structured interviews with people with several different vestibular disorders and with normal subjects. The self-reported crash rate and rate of citations for moving violations did not differ between the subject groups.


RESULTS
Patients report reduced driving skills, particularly in situations when visual information is reduced, rapid head movements are used, and specific path integration or spatial navigation skills are needed.
Cohen
Helen S
HS
Bobby R. Alford Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Communicative Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. hcohen@bcm.tmc.edu
Wells
Jennifer
J
Kimball
Kay T
KT
Owsley
Cynthia
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001334:Automobile Driving; D003221:Confusion; D004244:Dizziness / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014796:Visual Perception