When someone is diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s should their license be revoked? If someone is suffering from Alzheimer’s and driving, are they a risk to the general public (other drivers)? If someone suffering from Alzheimer’s causes a fatality while driving should they be exempt from civil lawsuits? Or should they be treated the same way as someone driving under the influence of alcohol? Should the doctor or family of a person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease be held legally liable if the person causes a fatality while driving? By Bob DeMarco Alzheimer’s Reading Room A new study conducted by Linda Hunt at the School of Occupational Therapy at Pacific University, Oregon indicates that driving when suffering from Alzheimer’s can be dangerous. Of 207 drivers with Alzheimer’s who went missing while driving, 32 died and 35 were found injured, the research showed. Another 70 were not found at the time the data was analyzed. The first thing I thought to myself was, yikes. The math, 207 cases, 32 died. 15.4 percent. Almost 6.5 out of 100. Six and one half persons. Is it possible that 15 percent of the persons suffering from Alzheimer’s disease who go missing while driving end up dead? The math, 207 cases, 32 died, 35 injured. 32 percent. Not good. Hunt based her study on those incidents she found reported in the media. So the study does not test the percentage of all persons suffering from Alzheimer’s that drive.

Original Source of Driving with Alzheimer’s Can Mean Death