Impact of stroke location on driving

Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide and results in significant economic and societal cost[1]. Returning to drive is an important aspect of resuming normal function after stroke[2]. In Australia, for those who have made excellent recovery from stroke, this period is around 4 weeks for non-commercial drivers and 3 months for commercial drivers[3]. Those patients with more severe stroke deficit may have their licences cancelled soon after stroke or deemed to require an occupational therapy driving assessment when they reach an appropriate stage in their recovery. It has been estimated that 49% patients were currently driving at the time of stroke and 46% of those patients still driving had licence cancelled [4]. A consistent theme among Australian studies is the lack of clear guidelines on return to driving[2,4]. This has been compounded by the lack of clear documentation in the medical record on advice to patients about driving. Such advice was found in 18-36% of medical records of patients with stroke[5,6]. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of stroke location to return to driving