Drugs and driving don’t mix

Press, 31 July 1986, Page 10

Drugs and driving don’t mix

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PORTER SHIMER

We all know how dangerous drinking and driving can be, but what about drugs and driving? What about that cold medication that makes you feel a little drowsy; that “mild” tranquillser that helps you relax?

Experts are now telling us that many medications can be as damaging to our driving skills as can booze. Studies suggest that over-the-counter and prescription drugs may be a

factor in as many as 25 per cent of all traffic fatalities in the United States. Tranquilisers appear to be the biggest culprits — increasing odds of traffic injury or death as much as five-fold — but a wide variety of medications can have adverse effects, some to an even greater extent that legally intoxicating doses of alcohol. Driving tests done recently at the Southern California Research Institute, for example, showed that the tranquiliser diazepam (Valium): (1) impaired the ability to track (remain in one

lane); (2) impaired the ability to maintain a constant speed; (3) increased the distance required for stopping suddenly; (4) increased the time required to recognise exit signs; (5) decreased peripheral awareness (the ability of drivers to notice things not directly ahead of them). Valium is by no means alone, however, in being a traffic hazard; all of the medications listed below have shown evidence of adversely affecting driving performance. Sedatives for inducing sleep can be particularly dangerous because some have the ability to remain active in the system long after their sleep-enhanc-

ing properties have worn off. This is particularly a hazard for early morning commuters. What can be done about the problem of drugs and driving?

Researchers are now working over-time to Identify more specifically the most dangerous medications. They plan to make improvements In the meantime, the responsibility lies with you and your doctor. Ask your doctor about any potential driving complications a prescribed drug may present. And if the medication you use is an over-the-counter one, pay close attention to how it makes you feel. Anything less than 100 per cent alertness should be reason to steer clear of anything with an engine.