More than 3,500 annual strokes registered in Asturias the volume of population that survives with only increases. And much of that population is a habitual driver, which makes a daily living skill intensity and complexity How is driving may be affected. Hence, one of the sections included by the specialists of the HUCA in It is as clear as it is necessary: “Can you drive again after suffering a stroke?
The answer given by the experts leaves little room for being clueless: “if you have suffered a stroke and there are sequelae that may interfere with driving You have to avoid driving and report it to the General Directorate of Traffic”.
Four years ago a modification by Royal Decree of the General Regulations for Drivers had to specifically attend to the situation that was being generated with drivers who suffered strokes. The regulations, since then, prohibit driving “until at least 12 months after a stroke after the sequelae have been established. To return to driving, with a report from the neurologist or neurologist, exceptionally and at optional discretion, the permit or license may be obtained or extended for a maximum period of one year.
The caveat from the experts is that sometimes the physical sequelae of the stroke may make driving impossible, but these sequelae are often obvious. “However, Driving is a very complex activity in which other brain capacities are also involved, such as sensory (visual and auditory), attention, memory and orientation” that they may be limiting the possibilities of someone to continue in front of a vehicle without putting their lives and the lives of others at risk. As a general rule, the Asturian experts indicate that “in order to drive, patients must be able to participate in community activities without the need for supervision, move in and out of the car without help, be able to perform several tasks simultaneously, follow verbal instructions or simple writing without the need for help or gestural support, understand terms related to position and direction or know traffic signs”.
More traffic accidents in the elderly
In the absence of studies that reliably compare traffic accidents with possible neurological disorders in drivers, for example the sequelae of a stroke in the elderly, what is certain is that The Observatory of the General Directorate of Traffic has once again pointed out in its latest report the concern generated by the increase in traffic victims among people aged 65 and over. Spain has 39 deaths per million inhabitants and in 2018 there were 496 deaths aged 65 or over, which represents a growth of 31 more people compared to 2017.