When people think of drunk driving, they generally only consider the impact of alcohol on a person’s ability to drive. There are many other ways to become impaired, though, which could result in a DUI.
Medications are one of the things that you should think about closely before you get behind the wheel. Have you tried a new medication today? Do you need to start taking a prescription that may make you drowsy? Be cautious because the impairment that happens because of those medications could lead to a DUI if you drive dangerously or get into a crash.
Driving under the influence of drugs, either prescription or illicit drugs, can be dangerous for yourself and others. Take, for example, a very common medication, Benadryl. This, also known as diphenhydramine, is known to cross the blood-brain barrier and cause severe drowsiness. The medication itself warns people not to drive or use heavy machinery until they know how they will respond to the drug because it is so common to see people exhausted by it.
Combining a medication like this with just a single drink of alcohol could make someone appear to be extremely impaired, even though they’ve had very little to drink. Their drowsiness and slower reactions could lead to mistakes on the road that could result in a collision, too.
The next time you are going to drive but are taking a new medication, stop and think about it. Talk to your doctor about the risks, and make sure that you’re going to be doing the right thing by getting behind the wheel. You may want to look into alternative ways to travel.
