{"id":676282,"date":"2026-01-05T21:44:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T21:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/676282\/"},"modified":"2026-01-05T21:44:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T21:44:19","slug":"uk-drivers-on-nine-types-of-medication-warned-they-may-not-be-able-to-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/676282\/","title":{"rendered":"UK drivers on nine types of medication warned they may not be able to drive"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The medication warnings should not be avoided<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_DM_TEM_291121GV_4798JPG.jpg\" alt=\"Cars Driving In Snow\" loading=\"eager\"  \/>The rules around driving while medicated are vital to road safety(Image: Derby Telegraph)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Drivers taking <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.chroniclelive.co.uk\/news\/uk-news\/dvla-rule-means-drivers-arthritis-33153467\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"nine types of medication have been warnedLink opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">nine types of medication have been warned<\/a> they may be &#8220;unfit to drive.&#8221; GEM&#8217;s head of road safety, James Luckhurst, <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.chroniclelive.co.uk\/news\/uk-news\/uk-drivers-face-double-fines-33166500\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"emphasised that road users on certain medications could pose a \u201cmajor safety risk.\u201dLink opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">emphasised that road users on certain medications could pose a \u201cmajor safety risk.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">James said: &#8220;Some medicines can make you drowsy and therefore unfit to drive. If you ignore the warnings, <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.chroniclelive.co.uk\/news\/uk-news\/drivers-born-years-face-being-32843342\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"you could be breaking the lawLink opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">you could be breaking the law<\/a> as well as putting yourself and others at increased risk of a collision.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;If you feel unwell, or if <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.chroniclelive.co.uk\/news\/motoring\/three-dvla-legal-obligations-drivers-32735416\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"any medication you take carries a drowsinessLink opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">any medication you take carries a drowsiness<\/a> or \u2018may affect driving\u2019 warning, our advice is simple: do not drive. Arrange alternative transport while you recover, or ask your doctor or pharmacist if there\u2019s a non-drowsy alternative.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">Our ChronicleLive Daily newsletter is free. You can <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.chroniclelive.co.uk\/newsletter-preference-centre\/?view=Solus&amp;mailingListId=d86974e2-8095-4ca7-b706-79c5ef9c4c60&amp;utm_source=solusarticle\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">sign up to receive it here<\/strong><\/a>. It will keep you up to date with all the latest breaking news and top stories from the North East.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">It is illegal to drive in England, Scotland, and Wales if legal drugs impair your ability to drive. You can be charged with an offence if you have a concentration of certain drugs in your blood that exceeds legal limits and you do not have a prescription for them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">If you have been prescribed any of the following drugs, consult your doctor to discuss whether it is safe for you to drive:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"UnorderedList_unordered-list__gzblI\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"unordered-list\">\n<li class=\"sc-700e1ff3-0 VljCu\">amphetamine, for example, dextroamphetamine or selegiline<\/li>\n<li class=\"sc-700e1ff3-0 VljCu\">clonazepam<\/li>\n<li class=\"sc-700e1ff3-0 VljCu\">diazepam<\/li>\n<li class=\"sc-700e1ff3-0 VljCu\">flunitrazepam<\/li>\n<li class=\"sc-700e1ff3-0 VljCu\">lorazepam<\/li>\n<li class=\"sc-700e1ff3-0 VljCu\">methadone<\/li>\n<li class=\"sc-700e1ff3-0 VljCu\">morphine or opiate and opioid-based drugs, for example, codeine, tramadol or fentanyl<\/li>\n<li class=\"sc-700e1ff3-0 VljCu\">oxazepam<\/li>\n<li class=\"sc-700e1ff3-0 VljCu\">temazepam<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">You can drive after taking certain prescribed medications if you have followed the advice given by a healthcare professional and the medication does not impair your ability to drive, even if you are above the specified limits.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">However, if you drive with certain levels of drugs in your system that have not been prescribed to you, you could face prosecution.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">If you are convicted of drug driving, you may face a minimum one-year driving ban, an unlimited fine, up to six months in prison, and a criminal record. Additionally, your driving license will indicate that you have been convicted of drug driving, and this record will last for 11 years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The maximum penalty for causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drugs is life imprisonment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">ChronicleLive has created a dedicated WhatsApp community for breaking news and our biggest stories. You can<strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"> <\/strong><a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.chroniclelive.co.uk\/news\/north-east-news\/join-chroniclelive-whatsapp-community-signup-26563249\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">join this WhatsApp community here<\/strong><\/a>. It will keep you up-to-date with news as it breaks and our top stories of the day sent directly to your phone<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The medication warnings should not be avoidedThe rules around driving while medicated are vital to road safety(Image: Derby&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":676283,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4315],"tags":[102551,105,4326,1229,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-676282","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-medication","8":"tag-driving-law","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-medication","11":"tag-motors","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115844681889711139","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/676282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=676282"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/676282\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/676283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=676282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=676282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=676282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}