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Dementia and driving

5-minute read

Key facts

  • Dementia is a brain condition that affects your ability to perform everyday tasks.
  • Dementia can make driving unsafe because it affects your ability to coordinate multiple tasks.
  • You are required by law to notify your local licensing authority and car insurance company that you have dementia.
  • Being diagnosed with dementia does not mean that you must stop driving straight away.

What is dementia?

Dementia is a brain condition that can affect your:

There are many causes of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.

Dementia is more common in older people, but it is not a normal sign of ageing. Dementia can also affect people in their 40s and 50s.

Dementia can affect your driving ability in many ways.

How can dementia affect my driving ability?

Dementia can make driving unsafe because it affects your ability to coordinate multiple tasks. This includes:

Being diagnosed with dementia does not mean that you must stop driving straight away. But as the disease progresses, you will eventually need to stop driving. This is for your safety and other people's safety.

CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS — Use the Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help.

What warning signs might I notice?

You may notice an increase in driving errors, such as:

If you have dementia, you are required by law to notify your local licensing authority. If you don't tell the licensing authority you can be charged with driving offences.

You also need to tell your car insurance company.

If you are living with dementia and want to keep driving, you will need a medical assessment. If you are safe to drive, they will give you a conditional licence. You will need to take the test every 12 months.

When should I stop driving?

If you're worried about the safety of your driving, it's time to stop. Your driving skills will get worse with time.

Your doctor may advise you to stop driving. But ultimately your state or territory driver licensing authority makes the decision.

Regular check-ups can help you keep track of your condition and whether it's safe to drive.

Dementia and Driving: A Decision Aid aims to support people living with dementia and their family members with decisions about driving. This is available in: English, Italian, Greek, Mandarin, Taiwanese and Vietnamese.

ASK YOUR DOCTOR — Preparing for an appointment? Use the Question Builder for general tips on what to ask your GP or specialist.

FIND A HEALTH SERVICE — The Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.

How else can I get around?

Stopping driving is hard, but there are alternatives, such as:

Starting a conversation about driving

It can be hard to talk about driving with someone who is living with dementia. They might see it as their right or as something they can do automatically.

They might see their inability to drive as a big loss and a decrease in their independence.

Here are some tips for having the conversation:

It's best not to:

Resources and support

The Dementia Australia website provides information and resources about dementia and driving. You can also call the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500.

You can find the licensing authority for each state and territory here:

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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