Syncope, driving recommendations, and clinical reality: survey of patients

Syncope is a common clinical condition,1 which for obvious reasons constitutes a very drastic form of driving impairment. The legislative and expert panels in most countries have therefore issued laws or guidelines regarding driving and syncope.2–4 So far, however, little is known about the impact of driving recommendations on the behaviour of patients or the incidence of traffic crashes. All patients referred to us for investigation of syncope who hold a driving licence are routinely given verbal advice on driving by the physician doing the diagnostic work up. From February 1998 until June 2000 we conducted an anonymous survey among these patients. The survey was based on self reporting and consisted of two short structured interviews about history of syncope, driving, and crashes. We did the first interview on the day of head-up tilt table testing, and …