Hazards of Driving While Sick or on Medication
At Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, we represent clients throughout Delaware who have been injured in car accidents caused by the negligence of another person. We have offices in Newark, Wilmington and Seaford, and we help you navigate the process of pursuing a claim for compensation after a serious personal injury.
We are deep into cold and flu season, and just these two illnesses and the effects of the medications to treat them can cause drivers to be impaired when they are behind the wheel. You might think that driving when you are sick is not a big deal, but when you consider the fact that driving while you are ill might be comparable to distracted driving or drunk driving you might consider following doctor’s orders to stay home and rest in bed.
The dangers of driving while you are sick
Despite traffic crashes being one of the leading causes of death in the United States, there is not a lot of current, definitive research on how medical conditions contribute the number of motor vehicle accidents each year. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a report entitled, Medical Conditions and Driving: A Review of the Scientific Literature, distinguished between the acute effects of an illness behind the wheel, such as an epileptic seizure, and the chronic effects of a medical condition that affect sensory, motor or cognitive functioning behind the wheel. The report reminds drivers that in the U.S., driving is both a privilege and a right. The individual driver has a responsibility to abide by their doctor’s recommendation about whether driving is safe given their condition and the effects of the medications prescribed to treat their condition.
A British insurance company in partnership with Cardiff University in Wales conducted a study that found that the driving skills of people who are sick behind the wheel drop by about 50 percent compared to those who are healthy. Being ill while driving lowers reaction time, inhibits concentration and impairs judgement in similar ways that alcohol does.
Call a cab or get a ride when you are too sick to drive
In the same way you would take the keys away from a friend who is obviously too drunk to drive, if you are running a high fever, if you are suffering from debilitating migraines or the stomach flu, trying to operate your vehicle becomes negligent because you are unable to drive safely. If you must get somewhere, call a cab or ask a family member or friend to drive you there. When you drive impaired by the symptoms of your medical condition or the medications you are taking to treat the illness you are putting yourself and the other drivers on the road in significant danger of getting into a car accident.
If you have been hurt in an auto accident that was the result of a sick driver, or any other type of negligence, we invite you to schedule a free consultation with a knowledgeable auto accident attorney from the Silverman, McDonald & Friedman law firm. Please give us a call us at 302.414.5553 or fill out our quick contact form to schedule a free consultation where we can answer your questions about your auto accident case. From our offices in Newark, Seaford and Wilmington we are proud to serve clients throughout Delaware.
Attorney Jeffrey S. Friedman joined Silverman, McDonald & Friedman in 2001. He graduated from Widener University School of Law, and is admitted to practice law in Delaware and Pennsylvania, and in several Federal Circuit courts. He areas of concentration include auto accident and workers’ compensation cases. Read more about Attorney Friedman here.