Commentary:
Medications and driving: Are you at risk?

Commentary - Medications and driving: Are you at risk?

As the holiday season approaches, the need to avoid impaired driving will be in the news and on the minds of conscientious drivers. But most of those drivers will think of “impairment” only in terms of alcohol or illegal drug use. How many of them have checked their own medicine cabinet, or are aware that they may be impaired by everyday prescription medication?

According to a new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 95% of respondents 55 and older have one or more medical condition and 78% use one or more medications. Yet only 28% indicated some awareness of the potential impact on their driving performance.

Medications commonly used by older drivers include anti-arthritics, muscle relaxants, analgesics (NSAIDS), anti-depressants, anti-anxiety agents, beta blockers and anticonvulsants. All of these, and many other prescription and over-the-counter medications, can have an effect on driving ability. Older people are more susceptible to the side effects of medication, and they are also more likely to have pre-existing conditions that can increase the severity of those side effects.

Of the drivers surveyed, 69% currently used one or more prescription medications that can impair driving ability, and 10% used five or more — but only a few had received a warning from their healthcare professional about this issue. In addition, the study found that while the number of medications people were taking increased with age, the level of awareness of potential side effects decreased with age.

“Health care professionals need to educate patients about their potentially driver-impairing medications to help them make safe driving decisions,” said AAA Foundation President and CEO Peter Kissinger. “One of our goals is to help older drivers stay mobile as long as safely possible, so it is imperative that we do a better job of educating drivers on known risks.”

With the number of drivers 55 years of age and older expected to increase by more than half by 2030, this issue will only continue to grow unless measures are taken to increase awareness about medications that can impact safe driving. High-risk groups include those with multiple medical conditions and those taking multiple medications.

What can you do? Check the label information on all meds, whether prescription or over-the-counter, and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure whether it will affect your driving. If you care for an elderly relative who still drives, bring the issue to his or her attention. An impaired driver should not be on the road, no matter the cause of the impairment.

Holiday driving tips
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety recommends these tips for staying safe on the road this holiday season:

  • No one should ever drink and drive. You can keep your family and friends safer by offering to be the non-drinking designated driver.
  • Drive with extra attention. Holiday parties, winter weather and shorter days all create additional hazards on the road, so stay focused. Limit heavy conversations with passengers, avoid cell phone use and keep a calm, relaxed atmosphere in your car.
  • Forget about the annoyances. If another driver steals your parking space, cuts you off or acts aggressively toward you, relax and just go on your merry way.
  • Stay alert in parking lots. Watch for cars suddenly pulling out, distracted pedestrians and children.

For more information on the AAA Foundation’s work on traffic safety, visit www.aaafoundation.org.

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