A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Impaired Driving
Also called: Distracted driving, Drugged driving, Drunk driving
Impaired driving is dangerous and is the cause of more than half of all car crashes. It means operating a motor vehicle while
- Affected by alcohol
- Affected by illegal or legal drugs
- Too sleepy
- Distracted, such as using a cell phone or texting
- Having a medical condition which affects your driving
For your safety and the safety of others, do not drive while impaired. Have someone else drive you or take public transportation when you cannot drive. If you need to take a call or send a text message, pull over.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Start Here
- Distractions in Everyday Driving(AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety) - PDF
- Impaired Driving(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
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Multimedia & Cool Tools
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For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
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For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
- Statistics and Facts about Distracted Driving(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
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Latest News
- Alcohol, Drugs Common in Fatal Crashes(09/06/2012, Reuters Health)
- Driving Sobriety Tests Likely to Miss Medical Pot(07/27/2012, Reuters Health)
- Drunk Drivers Show Risky Lifetime Drinking Habits(06/21/2012, Reuters Health)
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Prevention/Screening
- How to Avoid Drowsy Driving(AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety) - PDF
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Specific Conditions
- Dementia & Driving(Family Caregiver Alliance)
- Driving After a Stroke(American Stroke Association)
- Driving and Epilepsy(Epilepsy Foundation)
- Driving When You Have Arthritis(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
- Driving When You Have Diabetes(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
- Driving When You Have Glaucoma(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
- Driving When You Have Had Seizures(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
- Driving When You Have Macular Degeneration(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
- Driving When You Have Parkinson's Disease(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
- Driving When You Have Sleep Apnea(Dept. of Transportation)
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Drugged Driving(National Institute on Drug Abuse)
- Also available in Spanish
- Some Medications and Driving Don't Mix(Food and Drug Administration)
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Related Issues
- Alzheimer's: When to Stop Driving(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- CDC Vital Signs: Binge Drinking(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Get the Keys: How You Can Intervene(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
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Health Check Tools
- Sleeping and Driving Don't Mix: Sleep Quiz(AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety)
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Videos
- Drowsy Driving(Harvard Medical School)
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Research
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Alcohol-Related Traffic Deaths(National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
- Older Adults' Knowledge about Medications That Can Impact Driving(AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety) - PDF
- Why Do Many Older Persons Become Disabled in Walking and Driving?(American College of Physicians) - PDF
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Alcohol-Related Traffic Deaths
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Organizations
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Law and Policy
- Policy Statement and Compiled FAQs on Distracted Driving(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
- State Highway Safety Laws(Governors Highway Safety Association)
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Statistics
- Alcohol-Impaired Driving(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) - PDF
- CDC Vital Signs: Drinking and Driving(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Distracted Driving 2009(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) - PDF
- Distracted Driving in the United States and Europe(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Also available in Spanish
- Driver Electronic Device Use in 2008(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) - PDF
- Examination of Driver Distraction As Recorded in NHTSA Databases(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) - PDF
- State Estimates of Drunk and Drugged Driving(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
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Teenagers
- 5 Ways to Get Drivers to Stop Texting(Nemours Foundation)
- AD/HD and Driving(Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)
- Also available in Spanish
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Awake at the Wheel(National Center on Sleep Disorders Research)
- PDF
- Learning How to Drive with OI(Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation) - PDF
- Teen Driving Facts(National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign)
- Texting on the Move(Nemours Foundation)
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Patient Handouts
- Dementia and driving
- Also available in Spanish
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