35 medicines · AI for the rest

Medicines and driving

Can I drive while taking this medicine? Check the risk traffic light, how long the effect lasts and what to tell the patient. If your medicine is not in the curated dataset, the AI writes the record.

Guidance only. This does NOT replace the prescriber's judgement or the Summary of Product Characteristics. Driving law is national. Most countries penalise driving while impaired by medicines, prescribed or not — check the rules where you drive.
The pictogram is a Spanish pack marking. The red triangle with a car is required on Spanish packs by Royal Decree 1718/2010. It is shown here because this dataset is built from the Spanish SmPCs — your own pack may mark the same medicine differently, or not at all. The clinical risk does not change with the country; the label does.
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The list, by level of risk

Frequently asked questions

Can I drive if I take diazepam or lorazepam?

NO. Benzodiazepines sedate, slow the reaction time and impair coordination. Diazepam has a very long half-life (20-100 h), so there is often a hangover effect the next morning.

Does cetirizine affect driving?

Although it is second generation, it causes mild drowsiness in 10-15% of people, and it varies a lot from person to person. Try the first dose at home, or switch to bilastine or desloratadine, which are not sedating.

What is the AEMPS driving pictogram?

A red triangle with a car, required on Spanish packs of medicines that affect the ability to drive, under Royal Decree 1718/2010. It tells you to read the leaflet before driving. It is a Spanish pack marking: other countries mark these medicines differently, or not at all, so read your own pack.

Can I be prosecuted for driving on medication?

Driving law is national, and most countries penalise driving while impaired by medicines, whether or not they were prescribed. Roadside saliva tests detect benzodiazepines and opioids. Carry evidence of your prescription and check the rules where you drive.

Can I drive the morning after taking zolpidem?

Only after 8 h from the dose. The EMA advises women to wait longer, because they clear it more slowly. There is also a risk of automatic behaviour, which includes driving without remembering it.