After ICU, most survivors were fit to drive — but fewer than half had gone back to it

Design

Prospective observational cohort, formal driving assessment

Population

33 UK adult ICU survivors (≥72 h ventilation or ECMO)

Primary outcome

Driving ability about 3 months after discharge

Effect

79% fit to drive; 45% had resumed; 91% driving by 12 months

A prospective cohort in Critical Care Medicine (11 September) offered a formal, licensing-agency-approved driving assessment to adult ICU survivors in the UK who had been ventilated for at least 72 hours or had ECMO. Thirty-three of 40 recruits completed it, at a median of 12.5 weeks after discharge.

Twenty-six (79%) were judged able to drive a standard vehicle, but only 15 (45%) had resumed. Seven were unfit, mainly for physical reasons; four of them returned to driving after adaptations or lessons. Self-reported driving rose to 91% by 12 months, and confidence improved after the assessment.

The cohort is small, but the message is practical: return to driving after critical illness is usually possible, is often delayed by confidence rather than ability, and is rarely discussed.

• Ask about driving at ICU follow-up or discharge
• Advise patients to check licensing-authority rules for their condition
• Consider formal driving assessment when physical or cognitive recovery is uncertain
• Offer rehabilitation for specific deficits rather than a blanket ban

Why it matters

Driving is often what stands between an ICU survivor and returning to work and independence.

Don't overread it

This was a small, self-selected UK cohort, and assessment standards differ between countries.

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