Driving Safety in Adolescents and Young Adults With Type 1 Diabetes

Adolescent and young adult (AYA) drivers are at high risk for automobile accidents and fatalities (1–3). Unintentional accidents were the leading cause of death in 2017 of individuals aged 15– 19 years in the United States (4). Factors that increase driving safety risk associated with AYA drivers include lack of driving experience, developmental factors such as poor executive function, and propensity for risk-taking behaviors (5,6). Furthermore, cognitive abilities such as self-control and emotional regulation are continuing to develop through late adolescence and into young adulthood, making AYA drivers particularly vulnerable to practicing unsafe driving behaviors (7). Brain development—in particular the prefrontal cortex, which relates to impulse control—is known to continue well into young adulthood, not reaching adult dimensions until the mid-20s (8,9).