How the Medications You Take Can Affect Your Driving

The dangers of drinking and driving are well known. There are television commercials, awareness campaigns and many advocacy groups whose main focus is to reduce the number of alcohol-related car accidents. The dangers of driving while under the influence of medications – prescription or over-the-counter – however, are not that well known. There are a number of prescription drugs that can cause levels of impairment when used similar to or greater than the effects of consuming alcohol. Drivers who cause or contribute to accidents while on prescription or over-the-counter medications may face DUI charges.

Know How Medications Affect You
Driving is a complex activity that demands focus and skill. Therefore, anything that alters your mental, emotional or physical condition can affect your ability to drive. This includes prescription medications. Even over-the-counter drugs have been known to alter driving ability. For example, many cold and flu medications cause sleepiness or drowsiness. If you have ever tried to drive while fatigued, you know that it is difficult to keep your eyes open and to focus on the roadway.
Other common reactions to medications include blurred vision, slowed movement, fainting, inability to focus, dizziness and nausea. Also, many people take more than one medication at a time resulting in a number of potential side effects and reactions.
Safety First
Unless informed otherwise by your doctor, you can likely drive while on a mild prescription or over-the-counter medication. It is not advisable, however, to drive the first time you take a new drug because you don’t fully know how your body will react. You should not drive if you recently changed your dosage or frequency of dosage. Speak to your doctor about the symptoms that you might experience and whether or not you should get behind the wheel. You may be able to switch to a drug that causes less drowsiness or alter your nutrition program to lessen your need for drugs.
You should also speak with your pharmacist. Take the time to learn about what you are putting into your body and how it will affect you. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist if you experience unexpected side effects and call a friend or a taxi to take you to your destination if you are feeling out-of-sorts.
Compensation for Injured Victims
If you or a loved one has been injured in a DUI accident, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. Our skilled car accident attorneys have a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a man who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com