Symptoms of allergies can interfere with a driver’s ability to focus and may increase the risk of a St. Louis car accident.
Seasonal allergies can cause symptoms like sneezing, coughing, itchy eyes, and congestion. These symptoms can interfere with your ability to focus while driving and may even put you at risk of an accident. Additionally, the medications used to manage allergies can also affect your driving.
Many allergy medications have side effects that could affect your ability to drive safely. Here are some common side effects, what you can do to stay safe, and what steps to take if you are involved in a car accident with a negligent driver.
Blurred Vision
One common side effect of some allergy medications is blurred vision. This symptom can be especially dangerous for drivers as it reduces their ability to see signs, people, and other things on the road. If your vision is ever blurry while driving, you should pull over to a safe location until your vision returns to normal.
Drowsiness
Many allergy medications contain elements that can cause drowsiness and excessive sleepiness in some people. These feelings are most commonly associated with antihistamines but can also occur when taking decongestants. Drowsiness makes it difficult for drivers to stay alert behind the wheel, so if you feel drowsy after taking an allergy medication, you should avoid driving until the feeling passes.
Fainting
Some allergy medicines may also cause fainting. This is particularly true for those who take large doses of over-the-counter antihistamines or decongestants – accidentally or intentionally. Fainting while driving not only puts the driver’s life in danger — it also puts other drivers and pedestrians at risk.
Slowed Movements or Reactions
Another side effect that some people may experience while taking certain allergy medication is slowed movements or reactions. This could impede a driver’s response time should they need to brake suddenly or swerve out of harm’s way quickly. It’s essential to understand how your body reacts to different types of medications before getting behind the wheel so that you can be aware of any possible delays in reaction time while driving.
If a driver has allergies and is taking allergy medication, they need to take extra precautionary steps to ensure their safety and the safety of others while they are behind the wheel.
St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer
If you’ve recently been involved in an accident and suspect the other driver was under the influence of medication, The Hoffmann Law Firm is here for you. Our St. Louis car accident lawyer has over 25 years of experience and strives to help our clients get the compensation they deserve.
We can help you gather evidence, build a compelling case, and fight any evidence and tricks that the defendant may try to use against you. Give us a call today for a free case evaluation.