Purpose: To compare the driving habits and risks of accidents between adults with dizziness and healthy controls, and to examine whether dizziness-related activity limitations (score on the Dizziness Handicap Inventory; DHI), sex, and diagnosis might be associated with these outcomes.
Methods: A total of 141 patients with dizziness and 141 age- and sex-matched healthy adults were compared in terms of their driving habits and risks of accidents using a self-reported questionnaire. The dizziness group was classified by severity (mild, moderate, severe) according to the score on the DHI, and comparisons were conducted by gender and by vestibular diagnosis.
Results: No significant differences in driving habits were found between the two groups. Although not statistically significant, the rates of traffic accidents (7.8% vs. 2.1%) and near-miss incidents (44.7% vs. 32.6%) were higher in the group of patients with dizziness. Moreover, 60.3% of patients with dizziness restricted their driving. Patients with higher DHI scores showed significantly lower driving confidence, greater avoidance behaviors, and a higher frequency of near-miss incidents. Male patients drove longer distances and reported higher confidence levels than female patients, although the risk-related outcomes were similar. Disease-based comparisons revealed that patients with persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) showed the lowest driving confidence, more avoidance behaviors, and a higher rate of driving restriction (78.3%) as compared to patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, Ménière’s disease, or vestibular neuritis.
Conclusion: Patients with dizziness generally continue to drive, but those with a greater severity of dizziness showed lower driving confidence and a higher frequency of near-miss incidents. Among vestibular disorders, PPPD, in particular, appears to have a significant influence on driving habits, with PPPD patients exhibiting frequent avoidance behaviors and a higher rate of self-imposed restriction.
