Safe Driving & Medication Awareness
When you're taking certain medications, it can affect your ability to drive safely. We all know not to drink and drive, but what about when you've taken painkillers or over the counter medicine? Even prescribed medications can sometimes make driving risky. Some medications can make you feel sleepy, less alert, or slow down your reactions. This risk gets even higher if you're taking more than one medication, especially if different doctors prescribed them. Some medications can interact and make it really dangerous to drive.
Keep in Mind:
Quite a few medications can affect your driving. Some medications can even make drinking and driving more dangerous, even if you haven't had much alcohol.
Certain types of medicine are more likely to increase the risk of a car crash including medicines such as:
- Medicines prescribed for diabetes that lower your blood sugar
- Medicines for epilepsy or Parkinson's disease
- Medicines like tranquilizers, stimulants, and antidepressants
- Medicines that affect the nervous system, like strong painkillers, antipsychotics, and beta-blockers
To Do’s:
- Check the label. If the prescription label says "Don't use while operating heavy machinery," do not drive. If you are feeling disoriented or drowsy, do not drive.
- If any medication makes you feel sleepy or confused, do not drive.
- Tell your doctor about any non-prescription medicine you're taking, including alcohol. It can interact with certain drugs and cause serious problems.
- Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your medications and how they might affect your driving.
- Always ask your doctor before you stop taking any medication.
Be Informed. Be Safe. Be Roadwise
The information contained herein does not diagnose patients or recommend therapy. it is not intended to cover all possible directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. This website is intended to provide users with general information to help them better understand the traffic safety implications of certain health conditions and human behaviors. The information is not medical advice. Consult with your doctor before altering any medications or driving, or if you have specific medical questions or think you may be suffering from any medical condition.