Think! about driving

As part of our Healthy Living Pharmacy project, we are featuring messages from the Think! Driving campaign in our pharmacies in Rushcliffe, you can find out more about the campaign by visiting the campaign website http://think.direct.gov.uk/index.html

Why driving?

You might not think that a campaign on driving is an obvious choice for a pharmacy. However, whilst public health in Rushcliffe is generally good, the rate of people killed and seriously injured on roads is worse than average.  The risks of serious injuries and deaths on roads are higher in rural areas like Rushcliffe. Did you know that 59% of all fatalities occur on country roads? These roads often have sharp bends and blind bends which can hide unexpected hazards. The THINK! campaign has information about safe driving on country roads, go to http://think.direct.gov.uk/country-roads.html

Pharmacists can advise you on whether your medicines are likely to cause side-effects that might impair driving.  This is why we have chosen to focus on medicines and driving.

Medicines and driving – Ask your pharmacist if your medicines could impair your ability to drive

Most people are familiar with drink driving messages. You have probably heard that a second drink can double your chance of a fatal collision. But do you think about medicines and driving?

Some medicines can impair your ability to drive, for example they might make you drowsy. It’s illegal to drive if the side-effects that you experience impair your ability to drive. It is your responsibility to decide if your driving is impaired.

The patient information leaflet that comes with your medicines lists known side-effects. Our pharmacists can tell you how likely side-effects are to occur and how you can minimise these.

The UK government recommends that you talk to your doctor about whether you should drive if you’ve been prescribed any of the following medicines:

• amphetamine, eg dexamphetamine or selegiline
• clonazepam
• diazepam
• flunitrazepam
• lorazepam
• methadone
• morphine or opiate and opioid-based drugs, eg codeine, tramadol or fentanyl
• oxazepam
• temazepam

You can drive after taking these medicines if:

• you’ve been prescribed them and followed advice on how to take them by a healthcare professional
• they aren’t causing you to be unfit to drive even if you’re above the specified limits

For further information on medicines, driving and the law, go to https://www.gov.uk/drug-driving-law

Some over the counter medicines can impair your ability to drive

Don’t forget that some over the counter medicines can cause drowsiness and impair your ability to drive.  Ask our staff for further advice and tell us if you want to drive whilst taking over the counter medicines.

Don’t drive if you are tired

If you are feeling unwell, even with a self-limiting condition, you may get fatigued more easily. Did you know that research suggests that almost 20% of accidents on major roads are sleep-related? Sleep-related accidents are more likely than others to result in a fatality or serious injury.

Studies have shown that drivers don’t fall asleep without warning. Drivers who fall asleep at the wheel have often tried to fight off drowsiness by opening a window, or by turning up the radio. This doesn’t work for long.

The Think! campaign gives the following suggestions to reduce your risks:

• Plan your journey to include a 15-minute break every two hours.
• Don’t start a long trip if you’re already tired.
• Remember the risks if you have to get up unusually early to start a long drive.
• Try to avoid long trips between midnight and 6am when you’re likely to feel sleepy anyway.

If you start to feel sleepy, then find a safe place to stop. Drink two cups of coffee or a high-caffeine drink and then have a rest for 10 to 15 minutes to allow time for the caffeine to kick in.

Remember, the only real cure for sleepiness is proper sleep. A caffeine drink or a nap is a short-term solution that will only allow you to keep driving for a short time. For more information on driving and fatigue go to http://think.direct.gov.uk/fatigue.html