Prescription and Over the Counter (OTC) Medications

Medication labels often warn you about operating heavy machinery

Some medications can cause:

  • sleepiness/drowsiness
  • blurred vision
  • dizziness
  • slowed or uncoordinated movement
  • fainting
  • inability to focus or pay attention
  • nausea
  • nervousness and excitability

If you use prescription and OTC medications

  • Check the label
  • If there is a warning about operating heavy machinery, do not drive
  • If you feel different, you drive different
  • Wait for the effects to wear off completely before driving

Driving requires full coordination

Vehicle with front end smashed in from a collision, police lights in the background
  • Create a plan to get home
  • When in doubt, do not operate a vehicle
  • Hand your keys to a trustworthy person who is not drinking
  • If no one is sober, use a rideshare service, like a Taxi, Uber, or Lyft

The Bottom Line

When in doubt, do not operate a vehicle.  The length of impairment varies, by person, dose, and product purity.

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