The loss of independence is a primary concern for many aging adults. For most Americans, that sense of freedom is directly tied to the ability to get behind the wheel. We have long associated driving with personal liberty, a sentiment echoed in decades of car culture and song.
While physical or mental decline eventually necessitates handing over the keys for safety, data suggests that some seniors may be losing their driving privileges prematurely. Research reported in 2024 by HealthDay indicates that common medications might be the hidden culprit behind impaired driving skills, rather than permanent cognitive decline.
How Common Prescriptions May Impair Older Drivers
Research highlights a significant link between specific drug categories and driving performance. This study provides a more rigorous look at the issue than previous reports, following older adults over a decade to monitor their skills via annual road tests.
The research suggests that with better medication management, some seniors might continue driving safely for longer. However, the data highlights a clear need for medical professionals to be more diligent in warning patients about potential side effects that impact road safety.
Seniors on Common Meds Face Impaired Driving Skills
In the article, Norton brings us a study which has found that some common medications “including antidepressants, sleep aids and painkillers” may be the culprits behind the decline of driving skills in certain seniors. Even some over-the-counter painkillers are implicated, data shows.
Most medication users are aware of the label warning, “Do not operate heavy machinery.” But Norton explains that this newer study has taken a more serious look at the dangers of driving while under the influence of a wider array of medications, “following older adults for up to 10 years and testing their driving skills with annual road tests.”
She adds that “it turned out that those using certain classes of medications were at greater risk of failing the road test at some point.”
Driving Skills Study Was Comprehensive, Thorough
Norton writes, “The study — published in JAMA Network Open — involved 198 adults who were 73, on average, at the outset. None had signs of cognitive impairment (problems with memory, judgment or other thinking skills).”
For up to ten years (five, on average), the participants were given yearly check-ups, including a road test with a professional driving instructor. The study reports that at some point during that period, 35 percent of drivers received a failing and marginal grade on their road tests.
Driving Skills: Some Meds Can Triple the Risk of Test Failure
Certain drugs were implicated in those failing and/or marginal grades, including antidepressants, sedative/hypnotics (also called sleep medications), or even commonly-used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Users of these drugs were three times more likely to get a less than stellar test grade.
But Dr. David Carr, the lead researcher on the study and a specialist in geriatric medicine at Washington University’s School of Medicine in St. Louis, is quick to note that the study didn’t necessarily prove that the drugs are fully to blame. “It can be hard,” he said, “to draw a direct line between a particular medication and diminished driving skills: Is it that drug, or the medical condition it’s treating or another medication an older adult is taking?”
Likelihood Seems “Undebatable” That Some Drugs Are Most to Blame
Still, while researchers are hesitant to assign blame, the likelihood that certain drugs do play a role in poor driving performance seems undebatable.
Norton writes, “In this study, though, Carr and his colleagues were able to account for many factors, including participants’ medical conditions, memory and thinking skills, vision problems and whether they lived in more affluent or disadvantaged neighborhoods. And certain medication groups were still linked to poorer driving performance.”
Driving Skills Diminish with Drug Side Effects
The medications in question work because they act on the central nervous system, and this comes with potential side effects like drowsiness or dizziness, both of which definitely affect driving.
Carr doubts that most doctors are routinely paying attention to whether the drugs they are prescribing could have this practical knock-on effect in an older patient’s life. Doctor visit time is limited, and medication discussions tend to be quick and not thorough.
“The bottom line is, we need to pay attention to this and advise our patients,” he says.
Patients Need to be Proactive, Demand Answers
Carr urges patients to be proactive about asking questions in regards to potential side effects whenever you get a new prescription. If you’re already experiencing sluggishness or other similar symptoms, be sure to ask your doctor if it could be tied to your medication.
“We wouldn’t want anyone to just stop taking their medication on their own,” Carr warns. “Talk to your health care provider about any changes.”
Doctors and Drug Companies Need to be More Responsive
Jake Nelson, director of traffic safety advocacy and research at the nonprofit AAA, agrees with Carr (though AAA was not involved in the study) that patients should be cautious about their prescriptions, but not reckless or quick to stop taking them without doctor approval.
Nelson points out that most doctors are happy to talk about alternatives if they’re available, even adjusting the times of day that you take a particular drug. “Don’t feel like you’re being a burden by asking these questions,” Nelson says. “This is about putting your health and safety first.”
But Nelson also believes that it shouldn’t all land on patients’ shoulders to tackle this issue. He says that the pharmaceutical companies should take a stronger role in alerting medication users to the risk of driving impairment. The “fine print” doesn’t cut it.
(Norton notes that AAA has further resources on safe driving for seniors.)
Non-Drowsy Medications Less Likely to Impair Driving Skills
As stated, the biggest medication culprits for poor driving performance appeared to be antidepressants, sleep aids, and NSAIDs, a drug class that includes ibuprofen. “The odds were greatest for those on an antidepressant or sleep medication – with 16 percent to 17 percent putting in a poor road performance per year overall,” Norton writes. “That compared with rates of 6 percent to 7 percent of their peers not using those medications.”
But Carr points out that the researchers did find a few surprises. For example, no link was found between driving performance and antihistamines or anticholinergic medications.
This is surprising, because as Norton writes: “Antihistamines are notorious for making users drowsy. Anticholinergic medications are used to treat a range of conditions, from overactive bladder to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to Parkinson’s symptoms. They can cause side effects like sedation and blurred vision.”
But Carr notes that the older drivers in the study could very well have been using the newer types of antihistamines, which are non-drowsy, and that there possibly weren’t enough participants taking anticholinergics to make a difference in the results.
Don’t be Complacent – Talk With Your Doctor
Nevertheless, in the end, safety should be your highest concern, Carr says, no matter what medications you’re using. Talk to your doctor about any concerns you may have, no matter what they are.
Norton concludes, “Read labels on prescription and over-the-counter medications carefully, looking for cautions about potential side effects such as drowsiness and dizziness that could impair driving.” As the adage goes: better safe than sorry – especially behind the wheel.
Rajiv’s Take: If Driving Skills are Impaired, You Have Good Options
Rajiv has seen this issue play out in hundreds of families, so, as might be expected, he recommends taking a proactive approach.
“Sooner or later,” he says, “you’re going to need to hang up the car keys and stop driving. Wouldn’t it be better to map out alternatives to driving while you’re still healthy? Why put yourself and others at risk by insisting on getting behind the wheel when it’s no longer the smart, safe thing to do? When it comes to personal mobility, planning ahead is powerful.”
These days, non-driving seniors have a wide range of options, including Über, Lift, GoGoGrandparent, Silver Ride, National Volunteer Transportation Center, and more. “And how about speaking to your family and see if they might be willing and able to help?” Rajiv asks. “How about living closer to your kids, friends, or others you trust, if not with them, so the driving issue is almost the same as no issue at all?”
Before you dig in your heels when it comes to driving, consider your options. You may find you’ll save money and stress when you decide your driving days are done.
Rajiv Nagaich – Your Retirement Planning Coach and Guide
Rajiv Nagaich’s newest program on PBS, called Designing Your Ideal Future, is bringing Rajiv’s powerful message to Americans from coast to coast. This engaging and challenging PBS show is prompting thousands to take a fresh look at the type of planning that will help them succeed in retirement.
In this one-hour PBS special, Rajiv Nagaich takes viewers step-by-step through the principles of creating a retirement plan that truly supports the life you want to live. Instead of generic check-the-box paperwork, Rajiv reveals how to infuse your perspective — your values, goals, and priorities — into every legal document and life plan component so your plan becomes a living system for your future.
Designing Your Ideal Future includes insights from real-world planning examples and a live Q&A with Rajiv Nagaich that answers viewer questions about retirement planning, legal readiness, and family communication. It’s perfect for anyone approaching retirement, currently retired, or responsible for a loved one’s future care — and for those who want a clear, effective approach to planning that prioritizes personal choice and quality of life.
What about you?
You’ve heard Rajiv say it repeatedly: 70 percent of retirement plans will fail. If you know someone whose retirement turned into a nightmare when they were forced into a nursing home, went broke paying for care, or became a burden to their families – and you want to make sure it doesn’t happen to you – then these materials are your key to retirement success.
Visit your local PBS station’s schedule to find airtimes and learn how to access companion resources — including a free Legal Readiness Quiz and tools to help build your complete LifePlanning system.
Don’t remain among the millions of Americans sleepwalking their way into a retirement they never wanted. Instead, your retirement can be the exciting and fulfilling life you’ve always hoped it would be. Start by watching, reading and sharing Rajiv’s important message.
And remember, Age On, everyone!
The post Medications and Senior Driving: New Research Reveals Hidden Risks appeared first on Home.
