Medications May Pose Driving Risk

Many older drivers are unaware of how their medications may affect their driving, U.S. researchers warn.

Researchers at the Center for Injury Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham say their research findings -- released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety -- indicate 95 percent of those age 55 and older have one or more medical conditions and 78 percent take one or more medications. However, only 28 percent have an awareness of the risks those medications might have on driving ability, the researchers said.

The researchers surveyed 630 drivers ages 56-93 and found 18 percent reported receiving a warning from a healthcare professional about potential driver-impairing medications such as ACE inhibitors, sedatives and beta-blockers.

"These findings indicate that healthcare professionals need to take a more active role in educating their patients about the risks of potential driver-impairing medications," lead author Paul MacLennan said in a statement.

"Society needs to understand that potential driver-impairing medications are a driving-safety issue, and there is a need for increased education geared at older drivers, their families and health professionals."