Ontario adult drivers who say they have experienced at least one traumatic brain injury in their lifetime also report significantly higher incidents of serious road-related driving aggression.<\/p>\n
A recent study conducted by St. Michael\u2019s Hospital to examine if a link between traumatic brain injuries and road-related aggression and driving collisions also exists. The study points to the value of brain injury prevention, and screening and rehabilitation services for drivers who live with a traumatic brain injury, with the goal of assessing fitness to drive and other related cognitive skills. A traumatic brain injury is defined as trauma to the head that resulted in loss of consciousness for at least five minutes or overnight hospitalization.<\/p>\n
Drivers with serious aggression reported significantly higher odds of being involved in a motor vehicle collision that resulted in hurting themselves, their passenger or their vehicle.<\/p>\n
\u201cPerhaps the burden of traffic collisions and road rage could be mitigated if we were mindful of the implications associated with a brain injury,\u201d said Dr. Gabriela Ilie, lead author of the study and a post-doctoral fellow at St. Michael\u2019s Hospital.<\/p>\n
These data suggest links between TBI and hazardous driving behaviours, but at this early stage it\u2019s difficult to find a direct correlation or if these relationships are causal.<\/p>\n