Medication and medical conditions

Medications and driving

Safe driving requires good coordination and mental alertness. Prescription and non- prescription medication can affect your ability to drive safely by:

• causing drowsiness
• slowing reaction times
• reducing concentration
• increasing aggression
• blurring vision.

Common medications that can impair your driving ability include:

• slimming pills
• sleeping pills
• painkillers
• cough and cold preparations
• allergy, anxiety, diabetes and blood pressure medications
• antihistamines
• travel sickness medication.

You have a responsibility to understand how your prescription medication might affect your driving performance. If your driving skills are impaired by prescription medication – even if you’re taking it according to the prescription – you’re committing an offence.

Before you start taking medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist:

• how the medication will affect your driving
• how new medications may react with existing medications
• if you can take an alternative medication
• if it’s safe to consume alcohol while taking the medication.

While you’re taking the medication:

• follow the directions and warnings on the medication packaging
• take only the prescribed dosage
• don’t drive if you miss a dose of a medicine that controls symptoms that affect your driving
• don’t take another person’s medication
• pull off the road to a safe location if you feel any effects of medication while driving.

Medical conditions and driving

To drive a vehicle safely, you need to perform a range of physical and mental activities competently. You must have the:

• physical capacity to operate and control the vehicle
• mental capacity to perceive, assess and react to the changing road environment.

Some medical conditions and treatments can impair your ability to drive a vehicle safely.

All driver licence holders need to notify Queensland Transport about any long-term or permanent medical condition that could affect their ability to drive safely. You must do this as soon as there’s an adverse change to an existing condition, not when your licence is due for renewal.

Drivers who fail to report a medical condition may receive a fine or be disqualified from driving for a set period.

These medical conditions are recognised by law as potentially affecting driving ability:

• diabetes
• epilepsy
• heart disease
• stroke
• arthritis and other joint problems
• eye problems (e.g. cataracts)
• hearing disorders
• sleep disorders
• Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders
• dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
• depression and other mental health problems
• lung disease
• injuries and disabilities.

Read about reportable medical conditions on the Queensland Government website.