Research: $1.8 million grant to improve post-concussion driving safety
Driving is a highly complicated activity that requires a combination of motor, visual, and cognitive skills to avoid catastrophic accidents. But these skills are often impaired after individuals suffer mild traumatic brain injuries or concussions.
A new $1.8 million study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will analyze the driving of both concussed and non-concussed individuals to provide recommendations for when the concussed group is safe to drive again.
“There are no recommendations or guidelines for clinicians to use to address these questions that patients with concussions have,” said Julianne Schmidt, associate professor in the UGA Mary Frances Early College of Education’s Department of Kinesiology and principal investigator of the study. “We have well-established guidelines for returning to school and sports, but we don’t ever mention driving.”