It takes concentration and coordination to drive safely on Missouri roads and highways. If you take prescription medication, there is a chance that you may lose your ability to think clearly or react to changing road conditions. Let’s take a look at the types of medications that are most likely to cause impairment.
Pain relief medication can make you tired or disoriented
Medications that contain codeine or morphine may be effective at relieving your back, knee or tooth pain. However, they can also cause you to feel drowsy, dizzy or disoriented. Pain relievers that don’t contain opiates can still be dangerous because of how your body reacts once it feels better. In some cases, you are so relieved to feel better that you become extremely tired or lose your ability to focus on road conditions.
Drink coffee or soda in moderation
Stimulants can make it difficult to concentrate on what is going on around you. Although you won’t feel too jittery after a single cup of coffee, you may not want to drive after consuming several cups. It may also be a good idea to let someone else drive if you have had several cans of soda or more than one energy drink in the past few hours. It is especially important to refrain from driving if you like to combine energy drinks or soda with alcohol.
If you are impaired by any type of medication, you could be charged with a DUI. An attorney may be able to establish that you weren’t aware of the potential side effects of any medication that you took prior to driving. It may also be possible to show that you were prescribed the wrong drug and that you intended to take something that wouldn’t make you drowsy or disoriented.
