Tips For Driving With Parkinsons
You want to maintain muscular strength when you have the disease. This is why you should exercise on a regular basis. Exercise at least 3-4 times per week and this should help you if you want to drive for as long as possible.
Even if youre currently healthy enough to drive, consider taking a road test every few months, if youre exhibiting symptoms frequently. If youre not experiencing symptoms on a frequent basis, then consider taking a yearly road test. This will ensure you are definitely healthy enough to continue to operate a vehicle.
Exercise And Healthy Eating
Regular exercise is particularly important in helping relieve muscle stiffness, improving your mood and relieving stress.
There are many activities you can do to help keep yourself fit, ranging from more active sports like tennis and cycling, to less strenuous activities such as walking, gardening and yoga.
You should also try to eat a balanced diet containing all the food groups to give your body the nutrition it needs to stay healthy.
Systematic Review Of Assessment Tools For Determining Fitness To Drive In Parkinsons Disease Patients
The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review of the four main driving assessment methods and provide the evidence on individual methods for assessing driving ability in PD patients. To address the question of how much evidence we have regarding driving competency in PD, we performed a systematic review by searching MEDLINE, life science journals, Google scholar, and online books using the following key words: driving OR driving safety OR driving ability OR road test OR driving questionnaires OR sleepiness scale OR driving simulator OR naturalistic driving OR car sensor OR reaction time OR driver OR transportation OR automobile OR car OR vehicle OR collision injury OR car accident. Selected articles were required to have the term Parkinsons disease AND any one of the above key words within the title and/or abstract.
Table 3 Summary of studies involving driving assessment tools in patients with Parkinsons disease
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Judie Found That Her Disabled Person’s Railcard Did Not Just Cut The Cost Of Travel But Helped
Well you can buy a railcard, disabled persons railcard and you get, I think its half price each. My friend takes me down to London. Weve been to the Parkinsons Carol Service two, two Christmases now and various other events that theyve had on in London. And its wonderful to go by train. If you go in your wheelchair and make the rail company aware that youre going and what times youre going they are absolutely brilliant. The first time I tried it was two years ago when we went to the Carol Service. And we got on at Northampton and we were going to Euston and the guard was there to meet us. They knew which carriage we were going in and we were, planned to be back for about twenty past ten at night and, no half past ten. And we got to the station at twenty past ten and this gentleman jumped out from behind a post and he said, You must be my two ladies for Northampton. Ill take you up. And he took us up, made us a cup of coffee, and he said, Ill come and fetch you when the train comes into the platform and put you in the carriage. And, British Rail are criticised but they are good if you, if you tell them. If you dont tell them you cant expect the help. But they were very good.
Driving A Vehicle Safely
Being able to drive a vehicle requires high levels of skill and ability. A driver either needs to be unaffected by a medical condition, or have a medical condition that is controlled so that symptoms are highly unlikely to cause any problems.
Sadly, Parkinsons is a progressive condition and deterioration is inevitable. Itll affect many activities, including driving. This is why it is so important that all drivers who are diagnosed with Parkinsons must tell DVLA. The rate of deterioration varies, but recognising that it will happen is important. It allows the patient and their family time to make plans for any lifestyle changes that may be necessary.
Knowing you will eventually lose the ability to drive is never easy to accept. But it may be more bearable if the person has time to adjust and plan alternative ways of travel. For example: public transport, taxis, or lifts from friends and relatives.
For professional drivers, who must demonstrate a greater level of fitness to drive, it may involve reviewing work options for the future.
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You Have To Inform The Licencing Agency
It is the law that you inform the licencing agency that you have Parkinsons. Depending on where you live, youll contact either the DVLA or the DVA. After you inform the appropriate agency, you might be required to undergo an exam, which will determine if youre able to operate a vehicle in a safe manner. The agency may allow you to continue to drive based on the information you provided to them via the DL1 form or the PK1 form.
If the agency needs more info, theyll contact your GP. The next step might be to go for a medical examination by a doctor. The DVLA or the DVA will choose the doctor youll go to.
How Do I Know If I Can Drive Safely
- Ask a trusted friend or family member for honest input about your driving skills.
*Please note that not all content is available in both languages. If you are interested in receiving Spanish communications, we recommend selecting both” to stay best informed on the Foundation’s work and the latest in PD news.
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How Does Parkinsons Affect Ones Driving
Parkinsons can affect your driving in various ways. Even the mildest cases of Parkinsons can cause dangerous situations for you on the road. For example, some of the most common symptoms associated with the disease include shaky legs, arms and hands, as well as impaired balance and slow reaction times. If your hands started to shake while youre driving, then you could end up steering in the wrong direction or lose control of the vehicle altogether.
Do you take medication for your Parkinsons? If so, then you need to be careful because the medication can cause you to feel tired, drowsy and other side effects that can impair your ability to operate a vehicle. Therefore, if you experience any side effects of medication, then its best to stop driving.
Considerations For Driving With Parkinson’s Disease
In this hour-long webinar occupational therapist, Kathryn McKall, outlines the impact on driving due to changes specific to Parkinson’s Disease with respect to vision, cognition, hearing, sensory & motor function, and medications. She provides driving self-assessment questions, suggestions for remaining a safe driver with PD, adaptive equipment and modern tech to make driving easier and safer, the care partner’s role in evaluating driving and supporting cessation of driving, and tips to prepare for when you are no longer driving.
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Parkinson’s Drugs And Excessive Sleepiness
Some Parkinsons drugs can make you very sleepy. Sometimes this happens suddenly and without warning. This may be more likely in people with advanced Parkinsons who are taking multiple medications or are increasing their medication, particularly dopamine agonists.
Although this is concerning, the DVLA has stated that the risk of falling asleep suddenly is low and that taking Parkinsons drugs should not automatically mean you have to stop driving. However, if you experience any sudden or excessive daytime sleepiness, you should not drive and tell your GP, specialist, or Parkinsons nurse.
Physical Issues Of Your Sex Drive
Parkinsons affects ones autonomic nervous system, which controls sexual response and functioning. Parkinsons acts upon neurons in the brains substantia nigra, causing dopamine-producing nerve cells to die. Since dopamine is a chemical that transmits signals between parts of the brain that usually coordinate smooth muscle movement, this is critical to sexual function on two fronts.
Introducing an easier way to track your symptoms and manage your care.
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First, this dopamine drop may result in a decreased sex drive and sexual interest. Second, the lower levels of dopamine that result are believed to cause ones loss of balance, changes in walking pattern and posture, muscle rigidity, Bradykinesia , and tremors when resting. The symptoms of Parkinsons can also be seen in:
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Driving Guidelines For Parkinsons Disease Patients
A few patients suffering from Parkinsons disease but off course of mild type may continue with driving vehicles. However, they should strictly follow the necessary guidelines, which include the following-
- Drive vehicles only on the familiar roads
- Limit their drives to only a few short trips
- Avoid driving during rush hour or heavy traffic and on heavily traveled routes
- Restrict the drive to only daylight hours and that too during only favorable weather.
Advice On Driving With Parkinsons
Surrendering your drivers license is like surrendering your independence but unfortunately that time must come at some point in your Parkinsons journey.
It is important to remember that Parkinsons can affect your ability to self-evaluate. Therefore, it is a good starting point to discuss your driving with your caregivers and your doctor. They may have a different perception of your driving skills.
In the early stages of Parkinsons, you have the option to modify your driving habits to address the physical and cognitive changes you are experiencing. For example, you can adapt by driving shorter distances and avoiding peak hour traffic and night- time driving. Or if you drive a manual car, it may be sensible to convert to an automatic instead.
However, as your condition progresses, issues may develop which could result in impaired driving performance.
Insurance Regulations
It is recommended that you inform your insurance company of your Parkinsons diagnosis however it is not mandatory. In some cases, failure to disclose this information may result in your insurance being cancelled.
Driving, Parkinsons and Medications
Just as sight-impaired people must wear their glasses when driving, people living with Parkinsons must take their medication as prescribed when driving.
Therefore, when starting to take a new medication, check with your doctor and pharmacist that it is safe to drive.
Roads and Maritime Service Requirements
Will your doctor notify the RMS?
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How Can I Help Myself
To accommodate life with Parkinsons you may need either to change the type of car you drive or to make adaptations to your existing vehicle. Investigate all available options and follow up those that are practical and will help overcome any difficulties, bearing in mind that symptoms are likely to progress. Examples include:
- cars that are easier to drive and have been designed to suit people with disabilities
- cars that provide more space so that you can manoeuvre yourself in and out more easily
- power steering
- an automatic gearbox
- other automatic functions, e.g. electric windows and windscreen wipers that are activated when it rains
- swivel seats or sitting on a sheet of plastic to make it easier to get in and out of your car seat
- door handles that are simple to open
- hand controls or aids to make steering, braking or acceleration.
Always take a mobile phone with you when you drive, so you can call for assistance if you get into difficulties or have an accident.
Driving When You Have Parkinson’s Disease
- For most people, driving represents freedom, control and competence. Driving enables most people to get to the places they want or need to go. For many people, driving is important economically some drive as part of their job or to get to and from work.
- Driving is a complex skill. Our ability to drive safely can be affected by changes in our physical, emotional and mental condition. The goal of this brochure is to help you and your health care professional talk about how Parkinsons may affect your ability to drive safely.
How can Parkinsons disease affect my driving?
- Parkinsons disease can cause your arms, hands, or legs to shake even when you are relaxed. It also can make it harder for you to keep your balance, or start to move when you have been still. If you have Parkinsons and you try to drive, you may not be able to:
- react quickly to a road hazard
- turn the steering wheel or
- use the gas pedal or push down the brake.
Can I still drive with Parkinsons?
- Most likely, Yes, in the early stages of the disease, and if you take medicines that control your symptoms.
What can I do when Parkinsons disease affects my driving?
What if I have to cut back or give up driving?
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How Does A Person Know When They Should Reconsider Driving
A good indicator of when it may be time to consider driving retirement is when there are notable difficulties and/or changes in any of the symptoms we mentioned above. Since many times it is difficult for someone to notice a decline in function in themselves, it is usually a family member, close friend, or physician who will notice significant changes in function. It is the physician who will recommend driving retirement or make a referral to a specialist who can perform a comprehensive driving evaluation. Since driving requires a combination of visual skills, motor skills and cognitive skills, it is important to monitor how all of these areas change when someone is diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease like PD. If someone notices a significant change in function that might affect the ability to drive safely, this should be talked about with a doctor.
Another very important indicator of whether a person should be driving, is how well the person is currently driving. For example, have there been recent accidents or traffic tickets, small scrapes on the car, potentially dangerous actions observed by passengers in the car, or getting lost while driving, etc? Again, in such cases a doctor may recommend driving retirement or a comprehensive driving evaluation.
How To Ease The Transition
Frank discussions with family members and doctors are often enough to convince people with Parkinsonâs disease to modify their driving. Some people may need additional input from a support group, lawyer, or financial planner to ease the transition.
Some people with Parkinson’s disease can continue driving under strict guidelines, although the long-term goal will still be to eventually stop driving. Guidelines for limited driving may include:
- Drive only on familiar roads
- Limit drives to short trips
- Avoid rush-hour traffic and heavily traveled roads
- Restrict drives to daylight hours during good weather
Itâs important for family and friends to find ways to help their loved one reduce their need to drive. These include arranging for groceries, meals, and prescriptions to be delivered to the home, or for barbers or hairdressers to come to the home.
Itâs also important to help your loved one become accustomed to using alternate methods of transportation, such as:
- Rides from family and friends
- Taxi cabs
- Public buses, trains, and subways
- Walking
Your local Area Agency on Aging can help you find transportation services for a loved one. Eldercare Locator, a service of the U.S. Administration on Aging, can also assist. Its phone number is 800-677-1116,
If your loved one refuses to voluntarily limit or stop driving, despite a demonstrated need to do so, you may need to take more aggressive steps, such as:
- Hiding the car keys
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How Parkinsons Disease Symptoms Affect Driving Skills
Parkinsonâs disease symptoms vary from patient to patient. They can range from mild to severe. But even in mild cases, common symptoms such as shaking in the arms, hands, or legs, impaired balance, and slowed physical and mental responses can affect driving skills.
Episodes of tremor, for example, often begin in a hand or a foot and can affect the ability to operate a carâs controls. Rigidity can result in jerky motions while steering. Slow movement can interfere with braking in heavy traffic or ability to quickly react to road hazards. Postural instability often results in a stooped posture in which the head is bowed and shoulders are drooped, further reducing driversâ awareness of their surroundings.
For many people with early Parkinsonâs disease, medications can reduce symptoms. But medications may have side effects, such as drowsiness, that can affect driving as well. It can be difficult for doctors to devise a medication plan that reduces the primary symptoms of Parkinsonâs disease and allows some patients to drive without causing side effects that make driving a car even more dangerous.
Nicolas Finds Even Long Trips Relaxing When He Is On Holiday Travel For Work Is More Of A Problem
What about stiffness after a long haul flight?
One of the best things I did, because of the resort we were staying at, was get a massage. So that was good. I did have a bit of an adverse reaction to it because I was quite stiff, but I got over that quite quickly. Swimming was useful. Its interesting I dont have any difficulties with gross movements like swimming. Its the fine motor control and the small movements that I struggle with. So I appreciated that, so that was another form of exercise while I was out there.
Business travel, I feel is a bit more pressurised. In that its much more intensive for me. Our head office is in Toulouse. So its a flight there and back in a day and its a long day. And thats quite intensive and that I struggle with, and youve got to do a days work while your there and all that sort of thing. So that can be a bit awkward.
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