Objectives: Driving is an important daily life task. In most communities the ability to drive a car is essential for mobility within the community. The ability to drive can be affected by vestibular disorders. Although the literature includes several articles about physicians' beliefs about the driving skills of patients with vestibular disorders, no previous studies have examined patients' experiences driving. The goal of this study was to determine how well patients, themselves, believe they drive.Methods: We surveyed patients with several vestibular impairments, including benign paroxysmal position vertigo (BPPV), chronic peripheral vestibulopathy, Meniere's disease and postvestibular nerve section or acoustic neuroma, and compared them to a sample of normals. All subjects were interviewed using a normed instrument developed to evaluate patients with vision impairment and we added some questions specific to this population.Results: Normal people report no significant deficits in driving skill. BPPV patients report few problems. Other groups report more problems, especially in conditions of reduced visibility. The most problematic groups were Meniere's disease and chronic vestibulopathies. Because of the need for mobility, most patients ignore the advice of physicians not to drive.Conclusion: These results differ from physicians' beliefs about patients' driving skills. Physicians and other health professionals should counsel patients with potential driving problems about the most likely problematic areas and should provide guidance about alternatives to driving when available. Patients with Meniere's disease, chronic vestibulopathies, and those acutely after otologic surgery expecially should be counseled. Otherwise they may continue driving. Supported by NIH grants DC03602 and P50 AG11684-10.