Teen drivers can be dangerous behind the wheel, but throw in an attention deficit disorder and the potential for accidents multiplies.

Car accidents are the leading cause of death in adolescents in North America, but kids with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are four times more likely to get into an accident.

Daniel Cox, from Charlottesville, Va., is a psychologist and leading expert on ADHD. He is in Halifax to talk to doctors at the IWK about their ADHD patients.

The two core symptoms of ADHD are inattention and impulsivity, he said. Inattention means ADHD drivers might not notice cars around them.

“And if you’re also impulsive, that makes you more vulnerable to run stop signs, run red lights, to cut people off and do dumb things,” Cox said.

“In retrospect, these folks are recognizing they’re dumb things, but they just spontaneously respond. The combination of inattention and impulsivity is especially dangerous behind the wheel.”

The solution is getting ADHD drivers on medication, but teens in general don’t like to recognize they need help.

Cox said he will tell clinicians at the IWK to talk to their ADHD patients about driving safety. Plus, Cox noted accidents among adolescents are most likely to occur on evenings, weekends and summer holidays, when teens are least likely to take medication.

“If these medications are going to work, they can’t take them just for school.”