Driving Under the Influence of Prescription Drugs

Unmask the risks of driving under the influence of prescription drugs and become safer on the roads.

Published On

April 22, 2024

Dove Recovery's Team

Driving Under the Influence of Prescription Drugs

Understanding Medication Impairment

The increasing prevalence of driving under the influence of prescription drugs has raised significant concerns about public safety. These concerns extend beyond the use of illicit drugs to include prescription and over-the-counter medications that can impair driving ability.

Legal Consequences of Driving Impaired

Driving while impaired by drugs or medication is a dangerous behavior, severely punished under the Criminal Code and the Highway Safety Code. Even if the medications were prescribed by a doctor, individuals can still be charged and convicted of impaired driving. This emphasizes the legal consequences of driving under the influence of prescription drugs.

If a police officer suspects that an individual has consumed drugs or certain medications, the individual may be required to undergo physical coordination tests or a saliva test. Failure to comply could result in arrest and being required to provide a blood sample for analysis. Refusing these tests is considered a criminal offense, leading to severe penalties.

Side Effects of Prescription Medications

Prescription and nonprescription medications can have side effects that make it unsafe to drive or operate heavy machinery. These effects can last from a short time to several hours, or even into the next day [3].

For instance, medicines containing antihistamines, used to relieve allergies, can interfere with driving by slowing reaction time, impairing focus and clarity of thought, and causing mild confusion even if not feeling drowsy.

Products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds, such as CBD, can affect driving ability by causing sleepiness and changes in alertness.

Sleep medications, commonly used by individuals with insomnia, can impair driving ability, often persisting into the next day.

Understanding the potential side effects of medications is an essential part of ensuring safety on the road. It emphasizes the importance of consulting with healthcare professionals regarding potential side effects, adjusting dosages or timing, and understanding the warnings and directions on both nonprescription and prescription medicines.

Types of Medications Affecting Driving

Prescription and over-the-counter medications can have significant effects on an individual's ability to drive safely. Several types of medications, including antihistamines, cannabis compounds, and sleep aids, can impair driving skills due to their side effects. Understanding these effects is a crucial step in safe driving.

Antihistamines and Driving

Often used to relieve allergies, antihistamines can interfere with driving abilities by slowing reaction times, impairing focus, and causing mild confusion, even when the user does not feel drowsy. This impairment can last from a short time to several hours or even into the next day, according to the FDA.

Cannabis Compounds and Alertness

Products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds, such as CBD, can affect driving ability. These components can cause sleepiness and changes in alertness, which can impair the driver's ability to react to unexpected events or maintain focus on the road. This information is crucial for individuals using these types of products and planning to drive.

Sleep Medications and Driving Ability

Sleep medications, commonly used by individuals with insomnia, can impair driving ability, sometimes even the next morning after taking the medication. It's important for users of sleep medications to consult with a healthcare professional about dosages, timing, and safe driving practices. This is particularly vital when they plan to drive the next day, to ensure they are not driving under the influence of prescription drugs that could impair their ability to drive safely.

It's important to note that while certain medications may not impair you on their own, if taken with a second medication or with alcohol, they may cause impairment. Warnings against "operating heavy machinery" on medication labels also include driving a vehicle. Therefore, it's crucial to understand the warnings about the drugs being taken before driving.

The types of medications listed above are just a few examples of drugs that can impair driving abilities. It's essential for anyone planning to drive to understand the potential effects of their medications, including over-the-counter drugs and prescriptions, on their driving skills. If a medication may impair driving, one should refrain from driving to ensure the safety of themselves and others.

Ensuring Safe Driving on Medications

Driving under the influence of certain medications can pose serious risks to one's safety and the safety of others on the road. Here are some steps one can take to ensure safe driving while on medications.

Consultation with Healthcare Professionals

To ensure safe driving while taking medications, it's crucial to consult with healthcare professionals about potential side effects. Healthcare professionals can provide advice on how to manage these side effects and can suggest adjustments to dosages or timing if necessary. They can also inform you about potential interactions between different medications, which can lead to serious side effects.

Adjusting Dosages and Timing

Adjusting the timing of when you take your medication can sometimes help manage side effects. For instance, if your medication makes you drowsy, you might be able to take it at night instead of in the morning. However, it's important to discuss any potential changes with a healthcare professional first. They can provide guidance based on the specific medication and the individual's health condition.

Understanding Medication Warnings

It's important to understand the warnings on both prescription and non-prescription medicines. Warnings against "operating heavy machinery" include driving a vehicle. Even over-the-counter medications like cold and allergy medicines can cause side effects such as drowsiness, nausea, and blurred vision, putting drivers at risk.

Moreover, certain medications may not impair you on their own, but if taken with a second medication or with alcohol, they may cause impairment. Therefore, understanding the potential risks and side effects of the drugs being taken before driving is crucial. If a prescription or over-the-counter medication may impair driving, one should refrain from driving.

In conclusion, it's crucial to be aware of the risks associated with driving under the influence of prescription drugs. By consulting with healthcare professionals, adjusting dosages and timing, and understanding medication warnings, one can ensure safer driving practices.

Statistics on Medication Impairment

Analyzing the statistics related to medication impairment can provide valuable insights into the prevalence of this issue. This information can help guide prevention measures, policy development, and public awareness campaigns.

National Roadside Survey Findings

In the 2013-2014 National Roadside Survey, it was reported that 19.7% of drivers admitted recent use of a potentially impairing prescription drug within the past 2 days. Of these, 78.2% said the drug had been prescribed for their use.

Risk Perception and Warnings Received

The study also found differences in the rates of received warnings about potential impairment across different types of medications. Sedative and narcotic users were most likely to report receiving information about potential impairment (85.8% and 85.1% respectively), compared to users of stimulant and antidepressant medications (57.7% and 62.6% respectively). The perception of risk associated with driving under the influence of prescription drugs was significantly higher among drivers who reported receiving these warnings [6].

Drug Category	Received Warnings (%)
Sedatives	85.8
Narcotics	85.1
Stimulants	57.7
Antidepressants	62.6

Sociodemographic Variances

The receipt of warnings regarding impaired driving also varied significantly across different sociodemographic groups, with notable differences observed in terms of sex, race/ethnicity, income, geographic region, and time of day. This suggests that certain groups may be at higher risk of driving under the influence of prescription drugs due to a lack of information about the potential risks.

The statistics highlight the widespread issue of driving under the influence of prescription drugs, pointing to the need for targeted interventions and awareness campaigns. Additionally, they underline the importance of healthcare providers clearly communicating the risks associated with different medications to their patients, helping to reduce the instances of medication-impaired driving.

Implications of Driving Under the Influence

The repercussions of driving under the influence of prescription drugs are far-reaching and severe, with implications for both the driver and society at large. This section will delve into the impact on fatal crashes, the prevalence among different age groups, and the risks associated with different drugs.

Impact on Fatal Crashes

Drugged driving, particularly under the influence of prescription drugs, contributes significantly to the number of fatal crashes each year. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, 43.6 percent of fatally injured drivers in 2016 tested positive for drugs, with over half testing positive for two or more drugs. This alarming statistic underscores the deadly consequences of driving under the influence of prescription drugs.

Prevalence Among Young and Older Adults

Different age groups exhibit varying rates of drugged driving. Young people, particularly teenagers and college students, show high prevalence rates. Car crashes remain the leading cause of death among young people aged 16 to 19 years, with drugged driving being a significant contributor. Among college students, a study revealed that 1 in 6 had driven under the influence of a drug other than alcohol in the past year, with marijuana being the most common drug used, followed by cocaine and prescription pain relievers.

Older adults are not immune to this issue. The 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reported that in 2021, 13.5 million people aged 16 or older drove under the influence of alcohol in the past year and 11.7 million drove under the influence of selected illicit drugs, including marijuana.

Risks Associated with Different Drugs

Different types of drugs pose varying levels of risk when it comes to impaired driving. In 2016, 19.7 percent of drivers who drove under the influence tested positive for some type of opioid. This points to the significant risk associated with opioid use and driving, due to their potential to cause drowsiness and other impairments.

In summary, the issue of driving under the influence of prescription drugs is pervasive, affecting various age groups and contributing to a significant number of fatal crashes. Understanding the specific risks associated with different drugs is crucial in addressing this problem effectively.

Prevention Measures and Awareness

Preventing driving under the influence of prescription drugs requires a multi-faceted approach, focusing on raising public awareness, supporting research, and promoting a better understanding of medication effects.

Effective Strategies for Prevention

Preventing drug-impaired driving is a complex issue. While there is a substantial understanding of how to prevent alcohol-impaired driving, less is known about preventing drug-impaired driving. However, some promising strategies are being explored. These include raising public awareness about the risks associated with driving under the influence of prescription drugs, enforcing strict legal consequences, and promoting consultation with healthcare professionals before driving while on medication.

Furthermore, it is essential to stress the danger and illegality of sharing medications. This includes both prescribed and over-the-counter drugs, which may have severe allergic reactions, unhealthy interactions with other medications, and decrease in effectiveness when shared.

Research Needs for Drug-Impaired Driving

There is a significant need for more research to fully understand the impact of prescription drugs on driving skills. While there is a substantial understanding of alcohol's effects on driving, the effects of various prescription and over-the-counter drugs need further exploration to determine their impact on driving ability [8].

Importance of Understanding Medication Effects

Understanding how medications can affect driving ability is crucial for road safety. It is recommended for drivers, especially commercial motor vehicle drivers, to ask six basic questions about their medications, including how the medication could make them feel and impact their driving ability. Additionally, it is also important to inform healthcare providers about all medications being taken to avoid adverse medication interactions.

It is also important to emphasize the risks associated with shared medications. Each individual has unique reactions to medications, and sharing can lead to dangerous consequences due to differing body chemistry and reactions to medications. In particular, medications with a narcotic component can be habit-forming and pose a risk to safe driving due to side effects like drowsiness, dizziness, and confusion.

In conclusion, preventing driving under the influence of prescription drugs requires a comprehensive approach that includes effective prevention strategies, further research, and a thorough understanding of medication effects. Through these efforts, we can help ensure the safety of all road users.