Drivers have been issued with a warning about breaking DVLA rules while on the road. Motorists have been told to be aware when taking certain prescription drugs
Motorists taking three specific prescription medicines face potential driving bans under DVLA guidelines. If you’re feeling unwell and about to get behind the wheel, you might want to avoid doing this now. Greg Wilson, founder of car insurance specialists at Quotezone.co.uk, has cautioned drivers who are on opioid painkillers, tranquillisers or antidepressants that they could be advised to “avoid driving” if discovered to be under the influence.
Greg said: “If you are on strong medications, it is likely that you will be recommended to avoid driving. Opioid painkillers, tranquillisers, and certain antidepressants are examples of medicines that can affect driving ability – as well as those that cause drowsiness or say ‘do not operate heavy machinery.”
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Road safety charity Brake commented: “Many prescription and over-the-counter medications impair ability to drive safely, for instance causing drowsiness, affecting reaction times, coordination, concentration or vision.”
“Warnings on medication can be vague or in small print only. They may indicate there is a risk of impairment but not relate it to driving. They may leave it to the user to judge their own level of impairment (which can be hard).”
The DVLA emphasises to drivers that it’s against the law across England, Scotland and Wales to get behind the wheel with legal drugs in your system if they compromise your driving abilities, reports Birmingham Live.
It constitutes an offence to drive whilst having above the designated limits of particular substances in your bloodstream when they haven’t been medically prescribed to you.
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This is because some medications might make you feel sleepy, intoxicated and even affect your judgement whilst driving. Therefore, it’s safer to avoid getting behind the wheel or getting someone else to drive you instead.
If you have been prescribed these medications and followed the advice of a healthcare professional, or if they aren’t making you drive unfit to drive, even if you are over the recommended limits, you can drive after taking them.
However, if you drive under the influence of these drugs and have not been prescribed to take them, you could be prosecuted. The DVLA further stated that although there isn’t a law applied in Northern Island, drivers could still be arrested if they’re unfit to drive.
It’s also important for drivers to know that this will be reflected on their driving license for up to 11 years, as explained by the gov.uk website. In fatal cases, the maximum penalty for careless driving under the influence of medications or drugs is life imprisonment.