In the US, taxi drivers rarely die of Alzheimer’s — how mental maps protect the brain

In a 2024 study, roughly 1 in 100 taxi and ambulance drivers died of Alzheimer’s, compared with 1 in 60 people overall. The probable reason? The continuous real-time mental navigation the drivers experience.

Taxi and ambulance drivers are less likely than workers in almost any other job to die of Alzheimer's disease.

Figuring out a circuitous route between point A to point B can strengthen your brain. justhavealook/iStock via Getty Images Plus Taxi and ambulance drivers are less likely than workers in almost any other job to die of Alzheimer’s disease. That was the surprising result of a 2024 study examining the death certificates