• January 9th, 2019

This research brief utilized data from the AAA Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) study to examine the amount and types of medications used by older drivers. Many medications – such as antihistamines, narcotic analgesics, central nervous system (CNS) drugs, muscle relaxants and tricyclic antidepressants – have been associated with increased crash risk. 1,2 We found high medication usage, with 97% of participants taking at least one medication; the median number reported taken was seven. In this study, medication usage was categorized by class and type in the cohort of older drivers enrolled in LongROAD. The most frequently used types of medication were cardiovascular medications, CNS agents, electrolyte pills, hormones and vitamins. Usage varied by age, gender and ethnicity.