Doctor's orders: AAA offers safe driving 'prescription' | Health

Ever wondered how your medications can affect your driving?  AAA is offering a simple way to find out – Roadwise RX.

This online tool was developed by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, it helps to track the most common side effects and interactions of many prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

Roadwise RX is available to senior drivers and their families at www.SeniorDriving.AAA.com.  This site will generate a personalized and confidential feedback on how your medicatioins, herbal supplements and foods and their interactions with one another can affect your driving.

“Because medical conditions typically rise as people age, AAA recognized the need to develop a tool to help senior drivers – and all motorists – understand how medications may affect their ability to drive safely,” said Linda Gorman, director of communications and public affairs, in a recent AAA news release.

Some seniors are required to take medications due to chronic medical conditions, often resulting in several different types of medications being ‘mixed’ together. 

After a recent AAA survey the following results were found:

• More than 80 percent of drivers age 65 and older regularly take medications, yet only half have talked to a medical professional about safety issues related to driving.
• Women (58 percent) are more likely than men (46 percent) to seek counsel on the risks of driving while on medication.
• Certain antidepressants have been shown to increase crash risk by up to 41 percent.
• Ingredients such as diphenhydramine, commonly found in over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines, can have the same effect on driving as being above the legal limit for blood alcohol concentration.

“Roadwise Rx enables motorists to virtually pool together their pill bottles. After using this tool, AAA urges drivers to discuss their confidential results with their health care provider,” said Gorman.