Older drivers are more dangerous due to the amount of pills they take take

[Pelican Press 0]

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Older drivers are more dangerous due to the amount of pills they take take

Older drivers tend to be more dangerous on the road because of the number of pills they take, a study has revealed.

The study found the more tablets they are on, the worse they are behind the wheel.

Researchers from Columbia University in the US compared the daily medicine intake of a group of volunteers with the number of times they slammed on the brakes while driving – something that can increase the risk of an accident.

Those on the most drugs – 14 or more different medicines a day – were found to be 34 per cent more likely to brake too hard than those on just one or two.

It is estimated that 5 million pensioners in England alone are on at least five drugs a day.

Many are on a dozen or more for conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoarthritis, raised cholesterol and clots that could trigger a *******.

Experts have warned in the past that they ***** many older people are left on piles of pills – known as polypharmacy – by the healthcare system, without doctors regularly checking to see whether they really need them.

Yet the charity Age *** warns many of these drugs can slow reaction time and increase drowsiness.

The research team in New York tracked almost 3,000 men and women aged between 65 and 79. Each one had a ‘****** box’ style device fitted to their car to monitor their driving habits over a three to four-year *******.

The results, published in the public health journal Accident Analysis And Prevention, showed almost a third were on six to nine drugs and more than one in ten were taking at least 14 separate medicines every day.

When they then compared pill consumption with driving performance, there was a clear connection between the two.

In a report on their findings, the researchers said: ‘Polypharmacy is a health and safety issue of increasing concern for older drivers. It may be a contributing factor for the excess ****** risk in this age group.’

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