New tool shows side effects of medications
Washington – Drivers who regularly take medications now have a free tool to help them determine if their ability to drive safely has been impacted.
Roadwise RX, developed by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, was designed to allow users to input their daily prescription and over-the-counter medications. It will then output how the medications may impact the user’s driving abilities, such as attentiveness level, coordination and visual scanning abilities, AAA said.
The foundation encourages users to discuss their personalized results with a health care provider or pharmacist. According to a December 2011 AAA survey (.pdf file), 82 percent of drivers 65 or older regularly take medications, but only 52 percent of those drivers have spoken with a health care provider about how the medications may affect driving ability.
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