Introduction: Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with multiple motor and non-motor features. It is well known that the ability to drive safely is impaired in Parkinson's disease patients. While the impairing effects on psychomotor performance and vision are well established, there is uncertainty about the increased risk of road traffic accidents among drivers with Parkinson's disease. These issues, considering the progressive nature of Parkinson's disease, comorbidities and the profile of unwanted effects of the pharmacological treatments used, indicate that driving automobiles is a unique concern.
Areas covered: The Driving under the Influence of Drugs, Alcohol and Medicines (DRUID) categorization and specific advice for medications used in treating Parkinson's disease are presented. Expert commentary: Most medicines currently in use are considered DRUID category II: Likely to produce moderate effects on fitness to drive. Health professionals treating Parkinson's disease patients must be involved in providing proper advice and information to the patient, family and caregivers on the effects of the disorder and its medications on driving, and all possible actions should be undertaken to transition drivers with Parkinson's disease from driving to non-driving.
Keywords: Accidents; Parkinson’s disease; Parkinson’s disease/drug therapy; antiparkinson agents; automobile driving; cognitive impairment; drug-related side effects and adverse reactions; pharmaceutical preparations/classification; risk assessment; traffic/prevention & control.