Samenvatting
Elderly, depressed patients have particular problems which may hamper their ability to drive a motor car safely. Attention and psychomotor functioning are important for safe driving. These factors are commonly impaired in depression. In addition, age-related decreases in these functions have been shown. The elderly often have other disabilities which may hamper driving, for example poor vision and reduced strength. All these factors may be cumulative and need to be considered by the doctor advising an elderly depressed patient on their ability to drive. These issues are highlighted in this article using two case histories of elderly patients involved in motor car crashes who were depressed.