Can a person who has epilepsy drive?

In the U.S., 700,000 licensed drivers have epilepsy. If you have it, taking the wheel means balancing the need for independence against the need for safety. All states allow people with epilepsy to drive.

Can seizures prevent you from driving?

Having a seizure can cause you to lose control of your body, change the way you act and sense things, or make you pass out suddenly. If you have a seizure while you are driving, you could lose control of your car and cause a crash.

Why can’t I drive for 6 months after seizure?

Physician certification of fitness to drive must be submitted. The Medical Advisory Board will deny a license following a 6-month period of seizure freedom when factors make it unsafe for the applicant to drive. Following a 2-year period of seizure freedom, a physician’s certificate is no longer required.

Can I drive if I had a seizure?

Yes. California’s Department of Motor Vehicles can revoke or suspend a person’s driver’s license if they suffer from epilepsy, seizures, or a lapse of consciousness. However, the DMV can only do so if the driver’s ability to operate a motor vehicle is negatively affected.

What percentage of people with epilepsy can drive?

Epilepsy and Driving: Background Seventy-three percent of people with epilepsy (PWE) have a driver’s license compared to 94\% of the general adult population. The ability to drive is a key measure in 2 of the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventories (QOLIE-89 and QOLIE-31).

What happens if you don’t take your epilepsy medication?

Missed medicines can trigger seizures in people with both well-controlled and poorly controlled epilepsy. Seizures can happen more often than normal, be more intense or develop into long seizures called status epilepticus. Status epilepticus is a medical emergency and can lead to death if the seizures aren’t stopped.

What happens if you take epilepsy pills but don’t have epilepsy?

You may be having seizures, but something other than epilepsy is causing them. Taking antiepileptic drugs when you do not have epilepsy may not stop you from having seizures. If you do have epilepsy, the diagnosis of your seizure type may still be wrong. Seizures are hard to describe and hard to classify.

What do you do if a driver has a seizure?

As to concerned citizens, they can report an epileptic driver by filling out a “DMV request for a driver reexamination” form and submitting it to the DMV. An epileptic driver can also report him/herself to the DMV.

What to do if someone has a seizure in a car?

If a person has a seizure when they are in a wheelchair, car seat or stroller:

1. Leave the person seated with the seatbelt on (unless it is causing injury).
2. Put the wheelchair brakes on.
3. If it’s a tilt wheelchair, tilt the seat and lock in position.
4. Support their head until the seizure has ended.

Should clients with seizure disorders be allowed to drive a car?

Driving a car is so critical to employment, socialization, and self-esteem that people with epilepsy list it as one of he main concerns. Physicians, patients, and regulators share the responsibility of protecting the public, while still providing reasonable opportunity for individuals with seizures to drive a car.