Older Drivers Unaware That Drugs Affect Driving: Study

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Most older American drivers aren't aware of the potentially dangerous effects that medications can have on their driving ability, says a study released Tuesday the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Interviews with 630 drivers ages 56 to 93 found that 78 percent of them used one or more medications, but just over 25 percent said they knew about the possible risks of driving while on medications, The New York Times reported.

Only 18 percent of the participants said they'd been warned about the possibility that their medications could impair their driving, said the study. It also found that awareness about the issue decreased with age, even though the use of prescription medications increased.

The findings are "really scary," Peter Kissinger, president and chief executive of the AAA Foundation, told the Times. He noted that the problem is likely to worsen as the number of aging drivers and the number of older adults using multiple medications increase.