Prescription Drug Use While Driving
The topic of prescription drug use and its impact on driving is timely. According to the Center for Disease Control - last year alone more people died from improperly ingesting prescription medication than the total number of fatalities on American roadways.
Both - or either - can be considered 'epidemic' at best. While statistics placed the rate of addiction for patients who have been prescribed medication for chronic illnesses at 1% in the 1990s, today experts estimate that this number could be as high as 35%.
There is little room for argument that when an individual takes a prescription drug erroneously and then gets behind the wheel of a car - well that combination has repeatedly proved deadly for both the driver and other innocent people.
Some researchers believe that as many wrongful death car accidents can be traced to prescription drug abuse as to incidences of drunk driving. In addition, organizations such as the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration have made other 'sobering' proclamations with regard to 'drugged driving'.
For instance, in a study published in 2009 the NHTSA stated that s large majority of drivers who fall in the age bracket of 55 and older are 'unaware of the potentially dangerous combination of medications and driving'.
According to the results of a survey - 95% of respondents 55 and older had one or more medical conditions and 78% used one or more medications - yet only 28% indicated some awareness of the potential impact on driving performance associated with those very prescriptions.
If you must take a prescribed medicine for either a short or long term condition - consult your physician and the pharmacist to understand the side effects. If in any way it will inhibit safe driving - then find an alternative means of transportation. This is good advice for yourself and the other people with whom you share the road.
