Many people worry about their ability to continue driving after receiving a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis. Although numerous MS symptoms can affect a person’s driving ability, many people living with the condition continue to be safe drivers for years.
It’s important to understand how multiple sclerosis might affect your driving skills before you and your doctor decide if you should continue driving. Further, you should continually evaluate whether driving is safe, as well as what alternatives might be available.
Many people worry about their ability to continue driving after receiving a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis. Although numerous MS symptoms can affect a person’s driving ability, many people living with the condition continue to be safe drivers for years.
It’s important to understand how multiple sclerosis might affect your driving skills before you and your doctor decide if you should continue driving. Further, you should continually evaluate whether driving is safe, as well as what alternatives might be available.
How Can Multiple Sclerosis Affect Driving?
Several different aspects of MS can impact a person’s ability to drive.
Brain Fog
Multiple sclerosis can affect cognition (mental functioning), so people with this condition may struggle with brain fog while driving.
As one MyMSTeam member shared, cognitive problems can cause significant confusion: “Sometimes, I’ll be driving as usual, and the streets I’m on every day don’t look the same, and I don’t remember how to get where I’m going. My brain feels suddenly overwhelmed. This has happened on routes I have committed to memory. It’s not fun when I have to pull over to get directions from my phone to my own home.”
Slowed Reaction Time
Multiple sclerosis can reduce your reaction time. One MyMSTeam member wrote, “MS slows you down. I am doing everything at a much-reduced speed, including my driving. I stay off the road at peak times and drive at my own speed.”
Muscle Spasticity
Muscle spasticity can also affect your driving. If your muscles become stiff or spasm as a result of MS, you may be unable to enter or exit a vehicle. You may also be more likely to inadvertently jerk the wheel or step on the wrong pedal, which could be extremely dangerous.
Vision Problems
MS symptoms may impact your vision, making it hard to see clearly while you’re driving. Blurred vision, loss of vision, or blind spots are all potential hazards when you’re behind the wheel.
Certain Medications
Some MS medications may cause side effects, such as drowsiness, poor coordination, or problems focusing, all of which can make driving difficult or dangerous. When starting a new medication, ask your health care provider whether it might affect your driving ability.
“To read this article in its entirety click the link: Driving and MS: Everything You Need To Know”