Effects of CNS-drugs and alcohol on driving ability

Abstract

Driving a car is a daily activity that can be significantly affected by sleepiness and reduced alertness. Sleepiness may significantly impair driving and increase the risk of having traffic accidents. Sleepiness can have many causes, including sleep loss, insomnia, but also monotonous driving circumstances and prolonged driving may increase driver sleepiness. Another cause of driver sleepiness may be the use of central nervous system (CNS)-drugs. This chapter summarizes the main findings obtained with the Dutch on-road driving test examining the effects of alcohol and CNS-drugs on driving. The data show that CNS-drugs may have a negative impact on driving ability, however, he magnitude of impairment differs between drugs, and often physicians have a choice to prescribe a drug that has little or no impairing effects on driving ability. The latter is important since most people who use CNS-drugs are outpatients that are therefore likely to drive a car.