Which of these statements is true about driving and taking medications?
- Most cold medications can make a person drowsy. ✓
- Over-the-counter medications cannot impair driving ability if taken in the recommended dosages.
- Medications are safe to take at any time, if prescribed by a doctor.
Answer: A. Most cold medications can make a person drowsy.
Most cold medications can make a person drowsy.
Why this is the answer
The handbook says prescription and over-the-counter medicines can make you an unsafe driver and that some medicines make you sleepy. It also lists cough syrup among medications that can affect driving and tells you to read labels. That supports treating cold medicine as something that can make you drowsy, so you should not assume you are fine to drive after taking it.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Over-the-counter medications cannot impair driving ability if taken in the recommended dosages. — The handbook states that over-the-counter medications can affect your ability to drive; it does not say the recommended dose makes them harmless.
- C. Medications are safe to take at any time, if prescribed by a doctor. — A doctor's prescription does not make a medication safe for driving; the handbook says the law treats prescription drugs the same as other drugs when they affect your driving.
Remember it
Read the medicine label before you drive; if it can make you sleepy, do not treat it as harmless just because it came from a pharmacy.