October’s Startline Used Car Tracker reveals 70% agree more should be done to make motorists aware of the hazards of common medications such as co-codamol, antihistamines, and cough and cold remedies.

Almost a quarter (24%) believe these medicines can be as dangerous when driving as illegal recreational drugs, 22% know people who take these medicines and drive, and 19% say they have themselves taken a treatment and driven.

Worryingly, more than one in 20 (6%) have felt drowsy behind the wheel after taking one of these medicines. Just 15% think the dangers of taking these medications and driving are probably overstated.

Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “It’s clearly a concern that four out of 10 drivers don’t know they could take perfectly legal medicines for conditions as common as colds and hay fever, and be affected to the extent they could fail a drug-driving test.

“Our research shows one in five people have taken these medicines and driven, and one in 20 have taken them and felt drowsy behind the wheel. This all supports the argument that more needs to be done to inform motorists about the dangers of drug-driving about prescribed and over-the-counter treatments.”

The Startline Used Car Tracker also asked motorists whether, if they were ill, they would choose not to take a medicine in order to drive – with six in 10 (58%) agreeing.

Paul said: “With this question, we wanted to get an insight into how driver behaviour might change if they understood the risks represented by these treatments. It seems significant that better information would stop a majority from getting behind the wheel.”

The Startline Used Car Tracker is compiled monthly for Startline Motor Finance by APD Global Research, well-known in the motor industry for their business intelligence reporting and customer experience programs. This time, 329 consumers and 60 dealers were questioned.