What should you do if a doctor prescribes drugs that are likely to affect your driving?
When taking medication, you need to take caution that you are fit to drive. If you don’t, you may be putting yourself and others at risk.
You should get someone else to drive if on medication that affects your driving. You should not drive if you are taking medication that could make you drowsy behind the wheel. Ask someone else to drive you home, or if that isn’t possible, find another method to get home.
Driving while drowsy raises your chances of being in an accident.
What to do if you feel drowsy when driving?
Feeling drowsy can put yourself and others at risk on the road.
If you are feeling drowsy when driving, don’t start a trip. Obtain a good night’s sleep before embarking on a long journey.
Avoid driving between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. because this is when the ‘body clock’ goes into a daily slump. If you start to feel tired, stop in a secure place before you reach the ‘fighting sleep’ stage. Sleep can come on you faster than you might think. In addition, when you are extremely exhausted, you may suffer micro-sleeps, which means you may lose consciousness for up to 30 seconds.
If you can’t stop right away, open a window for some fresh air. Stop as soon as it is safe and legal. Pull into the nearest service area or off the highway if you’re on a highway.
The only time you may stop on the highway’s hard shoulder is in an emergency, thus you MUST NOT stop there to relax.
Caffeine and a short nap are the most effective treatments to combat tiredness. A caffeinated drink (for example, caffeinated coffee) followed by a short snooze of up to 15 minutes is especially helpful. Caffeine takes 20–30 minutes to be absorbed and effect on the brain, allowing you to take a nap.
This should not, however, be employed as a long-term solution to your tiredness.
Don’t drive for too long without stopping. Your attention will improve significantly if you schedule regular breaks for relaxation and refreshments. It is recommended that you take a 15-minute rest after every two hours of driving. This is especially critical at night.
