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NEUROLOGY 1987;37:1613
© 1987 American Academy of Neurology

The risk of automobile accidents with seizures occurring while driving

Relation to seizure type

Henri Gastaut, MD and Benjamin G. Zifkin, MD, CM, FRCPC

From the Institut de Recherches Neurologiques (Dr. Gastaut), WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Teaching in Neurology, Facultéde Médecine, Marseille, France; and the New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Department of Neurology (Dr. Zifkin), SUNY Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn, NY.

Automobile accidents occurred with 55% of seizures in epileptic drivers with both well-described seizures at the wheel and a well-classified epilepsy diagnosis. A further 38% of seizures would have led to accidents in less fortunate settings. Complex partial seizures occurred in 81% of patients and were responsible for 88% of accidents. Immediate alterations of consciousness were significantly more likely to lead to accidents than were seizures beginning with an aura. Motor activity during simple partial seizures was also responsible for some accidents. Differences in seizure frequency may account for different crude accident rates among studies of epileptic drivers. We suggest guidelines for licensing restrictions that seem safe and reasonable.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Zifkin, Institute for Basic Research, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY 10314.

Presented in part at the thirty-ninth annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, New York, NY, April 1987.

Received October 8, 1986. Accepted for publication in final form January 15, 1987.




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