Epilepsy and Driving

Epilepsy Causes Few Fatal Car Accidents

"The total number of deaths due to alcohol-related fatal crashes is 6.6 times greater than the number of fatal crashes associated with medical conditions and 156 times greater [than] those associated with seizures," say the researchers.

Young drivers aged 16-24 were at the wheel in 24% of all fatal driver crashes.

"The overwhelming majority of fatal crashes are associated with alcohol abuse and other crash risk factors, such as driver error and driving conditions," say the researchers.

One might be inclined to suppose that a medical condition like epilepsy would significantly increase a driver's chances of being involved in a fatal car accident, but one would be incorrect.

This is just further evidence for the single thesis of this blog: the reason that driving kills so many people is that humans can't do it safely. It's not a matter of cutting back alcoholism, or trying to prevent the tiny percentage of epileptic drivers from driving.

It's a matter of getting people to stop controlling their cars, and having machines take over: we should demand that research into robotic vehicles be greatly increased, and that politicians and goverment officials consider this situation for what it is: a daily war on innocent people.

That, and that alone, will prevent the lion's share of deaths due to traffic accidents. Until then, every day means more needless deaths.