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New study shows Ambien use increases the risk of an accident among senior drivers

Taking Ambien Can Lead to Drugged Driving AccidentsRecently, many groups including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have been trying to raise awareness of the dangers of drugged driving. These dangers are not limited to illegal narcotics. Many common prescription medications can also cause impairment and cause or contribute to car accidents. One clear example of this involves the prescription sleep aid Ambien.

New Study Suggests Special Risks for Seniors Using Ambien

A new study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham showed that older drivers are at special risk of having an accident while using Ambien, a sleep aid known generically as zolpidem.

Researchers collected data from 2,000 Alabamans age 70 or older who held valid driver’s licenses. They asked a variety of questions, not only about their driving habits but also about their health and use of alcohol and other medications besides zolpidem. The researchers also reviewed 5 years’ worth of police accident reports.

The first thing the researchers discovered was that the 4 percent of the study group that used zolpidem were driving much less than their peers. Whether this was due to the fact that they understood the impact of prescription medications on their driving skills or simply due to the fact that the individuals in this group were more likely to be in poor health is unclear.

Next, the researchers compared their data to police reports and determined that, accounting for all important variables, the overall accident rate was about the same for drivers who used zolpidem and those who did not. (We might point out, however, that not all car accidents get reported to police. It is possible that the researchers missed some minor accidents.)

When the researchers considered only women drivers, they found that the risk of having a car accident increased by 61 percent when the drivers used zolpidem. This makes sense because after taking the same dose of the drug, a higher concentration of the medication appears in women’s blood plasma than men’s.

When the researchers considered only drivers over age 80, they found that the risk of an accident while using zolpidem nearly doubled.

How to Prevent Drugged Driving Accidents

When taking any kind of medication—especially one that affects sleep or alertness—it is very important to follow your doctor’s recommendations and/or heed the warnings on the label. For example, Ambien contains a warning that the medication should only be taken if the individual has time to sleep for at least 7 to 8 hours. Also, many physicians recommend that, if a sleep aid has been taken, you should wait several hours between the time you wake up and the time you get behind the wheel in order to be sure the drug is out of your system.

Injured by a Drugged Driver?

If you have been injured in a car accident due to another person’s negligence, you may need help from an experienced car accident injury attorney like Fernando D. Vargas to get fair compensation. Attorney Vargas understands how to prove drugged driving as well as any other type of reckless or negligent behavior. To schedule a time to discuss your accident, please call us at 909-982-0707.