New Study: Older Drivers and Medication
Tanya Mohn reports on “a new study [that] has found that most older drivers were unaware of the potentially dangerous impact of medications on driving performance” (New York Times, 8/11). According to the report released by the AAA Foundations for Traffic Safety, “78 percent of respondents used one or more medications, yet just more than one in four were aware of the possible dangers of driving while on medications.“
With the aging population and increasing prevalence of medications, the risks are real. Both proscribing physicians and older drivers should be responsible for monitoring such risks. To help educate people about the dangers of driving while medicated, the AAA Foundations plans to release Roadwise RX early next year – “a free web-based resource intended to help raising awareness about driving risks related to the use of medications. The program will allow older drivers to enter individual medications or combinations of medications, and through a search function, gain access to information.”
As a personal injury lawyer in Chicago, I am concerned by the study, but encouraged by the AAA Foundation’s quick response to the results. Both patients and physicians need to make sure all necessary precautions are taken while operating a motor vehicle under the influence of prescriptions drugs.
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