Cars and a biker on a multi-lane road. There is also a person walking on the sidewalk.
Traffic Engineering
Yang Tao, Director of Traffic Engineering

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 uncordinated 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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