Here’s a list to focus if you are sick and driving.
According to MarketWatch, 26% of US workers go to work when they are sick. You might believe that showing up to work when you’re sick will earn you brownie points and ensure that the job gets done. Driving with certain illnesses, on the other hand, can pose a significant risk on the road. So, how do you know if driving is safe for you while suffering ?
- Illnesses to Avoid Driving With.
There are some illnesses that should never be driven with. One illness for which you should always call in sick is a bad cold or the flu. According to Lloyds TSB Insurance research, drivers who had a cold performed 11% worse on a hazard simulator than drivers who were fit and healthy. According to additional research, driving with a cold can reduce reaction time and concentration levels by up to 50%. Other illnesses to avoid while driving include eye infections, which typically cause blurred vision, ear infections, which can cause dizziness and disorientation, and other acute infections, such as a urinary tract infection (UTI) and kidney infection.
I’m feeling ill.
If you have a stomach bug, you should take a day or two off work and avoid driving at all costs. A stomach bug’s symptoms usually appear within 24 to 72 hours of exposure and can be severe. You should not drive if you have this bug because it can cause crippling stomach pain, muscle aches, and frequent trips to the bathroom. If you are driving when your symptoms begin, consider pulling over and arranging for someone to pick you up and transport you home.
You may even become ill as a result of the motion caused by your own driving. Passengers are more likely to get motion sickness than drivers, but drivers can get it as well. Fortunately, motion sickness is usually only a temporary condition, but you should never drive if you experience it. To reduce the risk of motion sickness, Scott Clark Honda recommends that drivers carefully consider their seating position, sit up straight, and stare straight ahead rather than looking out the side windows.Other precautions to take include taking motion sickness medication, eating nutritious, non-fatty foods before and during driving, and keeping a bottle of water handy. If you do feel sick while driving, always pull out of traffic, park in a safe spot, and rest until your temporary illness passes. If it continues, call in sick for the rest of the day and make plans to return home as a passenger rather than a driver.
Is my illness severe enough?
Sickness does not always manifest as sniffles or a headache. Painful, sore, and achy joints are all illnesses that can make working dangerous. According to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), 264 million work days are lost each year as a result of back pain. While it’s great that workers are calling in sick and taking time off when they have back pain, it appears that most aren’t taking enough time off. According to Shape, 60% of American workers take fewer than 5 days of sick leave per year, whereas The Good Body claims that 90% of acute back pain cases take up to 6 weeks to resolve. Driving with back pain is dangerous, as up to 60% of drivers say it aggravates their pain. It can also put you at risk of a car accident because the pain can impair your ability to react to situations. As a result, if you’re suffering from back pain, wait until it’s completely healed before getting back behind the wheel.
Examine your medications.
You may believe that a quick trip to the doctor and a few pills will get you back to work, but you should carefully review the side effects of any medication you’re taking before returning to driving. Some cold and flu tablets can make you drowsy, as can many cough medicines, decongestants, and antihistamines, all of which are commonly used when you have a cold or the flu. Many Americans regularly use opioids, with 191 million prescriptions written for them in 2017, according to the American Physical Therapy Association. However, these analgesics, which are used to treat acute conditions, are notorious for causing drowsiness.
Medications for cognitive conditions that you believe you have under control can also be problematic. According to Time, 13% of Americans use antidepressants, and the number is growing. However, it is critical to check whether the ones prescribed to you cause sleepiness, as many brands cause drowsiness due to their sedation-like effect on the body. Anxiety medications, such as stress, panic disorder, and phobias, all have a similar effect on the body and can cause excessive tiredness. If you are taking any of these medications, consult your doctor about an alternative solution that will allow you to drive safely.
We all get sick now and then, and while it may be tempting to ignore your symptoms, you may be doing more harm than good. As a result, if you’re not feeling well, take the day off from work and rest up. And if you have important office work then book a ride with Best Safe Driver, which will drive you to your work place safely. In this way,) your health and the health of other road users both get benefit from this.