Time-to-Collision Estimations in Young Drivers with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may exhibit driving difficulties due to cognitive impairments such as time perception difficulties, a construct related to the perception of time-to-collision (TTC). This study examined the timing abilities of drivers with ASD and ADHD. Sixty participants (nADHD = 20, nASD = 20, nTD = 20) completed a time reproduction task and a TTC estimation task in a driving simulator. Results indicated drivers with ASD were less precise in time reproduction across all time intervals and over-reproduced time at shorter intervals. Drivers with ASD produced larger TTC estimates when driving at a faster speed compared to typically developing drivers. Drivers with ASD, but not ADHD, appear to present difficulties in time estimation abilities.