Dyslexia can impair a driver's reactions as much as a moderate drinking session. That is the conclusion of a small study which compared how quickly dyslexic and non-dyslexic drivers react to traffic signs. Those with dyslexia, which is characterised by difficulties with reading and writing, took on average 30% longer to react. The controversial finding will raise questions about whether people with dyslexia should have extra tests before being allowed behind the wheel. Drivers just over the UK's alcohol limit, which can be exceeded by drinking two pints of beer, are typically 10% slower than normal to react. In the study, Hermundur Sigmundsson at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim gave 17 volunteers, six of whom were dyslexic, two different tests. The first involved a 4-minute drive along a simulated country road at 50 to 80 kilometres per hour. In the second task, the volunteers drove through a city at lower speeds for 10 minutes. The simulator flashed up traffic signs in the drivers' field of view and measured how quickly they responded by pushing a button or saying "now". In the rural drive, the signs appeared directly ahead, while in the city they appeared in a variety of places. Source: New Scientist