Impaired Driving: MedlinePlus [NEW TOPIC PAGE]

Impaired Driving: MedlinePlus

A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health

Impaired driving is dangerous. It's the cause of more than half of all car crashes. It means operating a motor vehicle while you are affected by

• Alcohol
• Legal or illegal drugs
• Sleepiness
• Distractions, such as using a cell phone or texting
• Having a medical condition which affects your driving

For your safety and the safety of others, do not drive while impaired. Have someone else drive you or take public transportation when you cannot drive. If you need to take a call or send a text message, pull over.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA  

• Breath alcohol test
• Dementia and driving

Related Topics

• Motor Vehicle Safety
• Safety Issues

Start Here

• Distractions in Everyday Driving(AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety) - PDF
• Impaired Driving(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

• Overviews

  • Dangers of Texting While Driving(Federal Communications Commission)
  • What Is Distracted Driving?(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

• Latest News

  • Drunk Driving Can Make Holiday Season Deadly(12/23/2013, HealthDay)
  • Could Deep Brain Stimulation Make Parkinson's Patients Better Drivers?(12/18/2013, HealthDay)
  • Distracted-Driving Deaths of Pedestrians, Cyclists Up in U.S., Study Finds(11/29/2013, HealthDay)
  • More News on Impaired Driving

• Prevention/Screening

  • Get the Keys: How You Can Intervene(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

• Specific Conditions

  • Allergy Meds Could Affect Your Driving(Food and Drug Administration)
  • Distracted Driving(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Driving After a Stroke(American Stroke Association)
  • Driving and Epilepsy(Epilepsy Foundation)
  • Driving When You Have Arthritis(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
  • Driving When You Have Diabetes(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
  • Driving When You Have Glaucoma(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
  • Driving When You Have Had Seizures(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
  • Driving When You Have Macular Degeneration(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
  • Driving When You Have Parkinson's Disease(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
  • Driving When You Have Sleep Apnea(Department of Transportation)
  • Drugged Driving(National Institute on Drug Abuse)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Texting on the Move(Nemours Foundation)
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• Related Issues

  • Older Drivers(National Institute on Aging)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Party Planning Tips for an Alcohol-Safe and Drug-Free Holiday Season to Remember(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - PDF
  • Road Rage Is the Wrong Way(Department of Transportation)
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• Health Check Tools

  • Sleeping and Driving Don't Mix: Sleep Quiz(AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety)
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• Videos

  • Drowsy Driving(Harvard Medical School)
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• Research

  • Alcohol-Related Traffic Deaths(National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
  • Glaucoma-Related Vision Loss May Increase Risk for Auto Accidents(American Academy of Ophthalmology)
  • Older Adults' Knowledge about Medications That Can Impact Driving(AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety) - PDF
  • Why Do Many Older Persons Become Disabled in Walking and Driving?(American College of Physicians) - PDF
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• Journal Articles

  References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
  • Article: Driver fatigue and road safety on Poland's national roads.
  • Article: Norwegian roadside survey of alcohol and drug use by drivers...
  • Article: Police documentation of alcohol involvement in hospitalized injured drivers.
  • Impaired Driving -- see more articles
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• Organizations

  • Department of Transportation
  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse
  • Also available in Spanish
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• Law and Policy

  • Distracted Driving Laws(Governors Highway Safety Association)
  • Drug Impaired Driving Laws(Governors Highway Safety Association)
  • Drunk Driving Laws(Governors Highway Safety Association)
  • Mature Driver Laws(Governors Highway Safety Association)
  • Policy Statement and Compiled FAQs on Distracted Driving(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
  • Sobriety Checkpoint Laws(Governors Highway Safety Association)
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• Statistics

  • 2011 Motor Vehicle Crashes: Overview(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) -PDF
  • CDC Vital Signs: Drinking and Driving(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Distracted Driving 2011(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) - PDF
  • Distracted Driving in the United States and Europe(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Drowsy Driving: Asleep at the Wheel(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • State Estimates of Drunk and Drugged Driving(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
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• Teenagers

  • 5 Ways to Get Drivers to Stop Texting(Nemours Foundation)
  • Awake at the Wheel(National Center on Sleep Disorders Research) - PDF
  • CDC Vital Signs: Teen Drinking and Driving - A Dangerous Mix(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Learning How to Drive with OI(Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation) - PDF
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• Seniors

  • Dementia and Driving Resource Center: Having the Conversation(Alzheimer's Association)
  • JAMA Patient Page: Older Drivers and Cognitive Impairment(American Medical Association) - PDF
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• Patient Handouts

  • Breath alcohol test
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Dementia and driving
  • Also available in Spanish
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