Prescription Drugs & Modesto Traffic Accidents



 Each and every day, there are about 10,000 people in the U.S. who celebrate their 65th birthday. More than 80 percent of drivers 65 and older regularly take medication. And two-thirds take five or more daily, according to FOX News.

Yet only half have talked with a medical professional about the possible safety issues related to driving and the medications they're taking. Lawyer firm in Pennsylvania. We encourage you talk with your elderly loved ones about the medications they're taking and how they may be impacting life behind the wheel. Urge them to talk with their doctor or physician about the effects that these prescriptions may be having on their ability to drive.

Our Modesto car accident lawyers know that medications aren't only affecting elderly drivers. This is a safety issue of growing importance nationwide. It's important that you're aware of the side effects of individual drugs, as well as what impact combining medications may have on your driving abilities. Take blood pressure medication for example. It's might help to lower your blood pressure, but it can negatively affect your driving. It can cause you to have problems staying within your lane, it can delay your reaction time, it can lower your vigilance, it may even cause you to have a tough time recalling where you were going. In certain instances, such medication can even cause you to lose consciousnesses, to have a tough time focusing and can hinder night vision. But how many people who are taking blood pressure medicine know about these side effects? Not many.

There are some drugs, like antidepressants, that can cause you to have the same reaction times as a drunk driver. These medications increase your risks of an accident by more than 40 percent. Knowing how your medications affect your driving skills is the first step you can take in preventing these kinds of accidents.

To help to educate drivers about their medications, officials with AAA have created the Roadwise Rx tool. This is a website that allows you to enter in the prescriptions that you're currently taking and receive customized feedback regarding possible side effects and drug interactions.

If your prescriptions are hindering your ability to drive and you need these drugs to function, then you have a number of options. Talking to your doctor may reveal other medications, which when substituted may not have the same negative impact on your driving abilities.

Take this time to talk with your loved ones about the risks and the dangers that might be associated with the prescriptions and over-the-counter medications that they're taking. Sit down and enter this information into Roadwise Rx to see how exactly your driving skills are being impacted.

While your doctor or pharmacist should be able to provide invaluable assistance, Roadwise Rx is also an important tool. Whenever your medicines change, or you begin taking a new over-the-counter medication, reexamining your risks will help keep you safe behind the wheel.

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