Driving a vehicle is probably the most dangerous activity that most people do every day. No research has examined whether individuals recovering from a recent mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) are safe to drive, despite cognitive impairment being a common consequence soon after MTBI. This study examined the acute effect of MTBI on drivers’ hazard perception (defined as drivers’ ability to search the road ahead to rapidly identify potentially dangerous traffic situations). Poorer hazard perception has been associated with higher car crash rates in a number of studies, and consequently several Australian states and the United Kingdom now test hazard perception in their driver licensing programs. Forty-two patients with MTBI and 43 patients with minor orthopedic injuries were recruited from the emergency department of a large metropolitan hospital within 24 hours of injury. Participants completed a computerized hazard perception test, in which they watched videos of genuine traffic scenes filmed from the drivers’ point of view. They were required to use the computer mouse to click on potential traffic hazards as early as possible. Participants with MTBI were significantly slower to detect traffic hazards than participants with minor orthopedic injuries. This study provides the first indication that within the acute stage post-injury, MTBI can be associated with impairment in a crash-related component of driving. The practical implication is that patients with MTBI should perhaps be advised to refrain from driving for at least the first 24 hours after injury
