GEM head of road safety James Luckhurst stressed that road users on certain medicines could be “unfit to drive” in a major safety risk.
Drivers on nine types of medication warned they may be unable to drive
Drivers on nine types of medication have been warned they could be “unfit to drive”. GEM head of road safety James Luckhurst stressed that road users on certain medicines could be “unfit to drive” in a major safety risk.
James said: “Some medicines can make you drowsy and therefore unfit to drive. If you ignore the warnings, you could be breaking the law as well as putting yourself and others at increased risk of a collision.
“If you feel unwell, or if any medication you take carries a drowsiness or ‘may affect driving’ warning, our advice is simple: do not drive. Arrange alternative transport while you recover, or ask your doctor or pharmacist if there’s a non-drowsy alternative.”
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It’s illegal in England, Scotland and Wales to drive with legal drugs in your body if it impairs your driving.
It’s an offence to drive if you have over the specified limits of certain drugs in your blood and you have not been prescribed them.
Talk to your doctor about whether you should drive if you’ve been prescribed any of the following drugs:
- amphetamine, for example dexamphetamine or selegiline
- clonazepam
- diazepam
- flunitrazepam
- lorazepam
- methadone
- morphine or opiate and opioid-based drugs, for example codeine, tramadol or fentanyl
- oxazepam
- temazepam
You can drive after taking these drugs if you’ve been prescribed them and followed advice on how to take them by a healthcare professional or they are not causing you to be unfit to drive even if you’re above the specified limits
You could be prosecuted if you drive with certain levels of these drugs in your body and you have not been prescribed them.
If you’re convicted of drug driving you may get a minimum 1 year driving ban, an unlimited fine, up to 6 months in prison and a criminal record.
Your driving licence will also show you’ve been convicted for drug driving. This will last for 11 years.
The maximum penalty for causing death by careless driving under the influence of drugs is life imprisonment.