[beez]

Long drives are a strict no with any illness or condition that may affect your concentration or reflex.

I can speak about migraine as I used to get that a lot earlier. My triggers used to be no proper rest/sleep, sinusitis, and sometimes food. Ensuring you have rested well before any long drive will help avoid migraine attacks to a large extent.

Before any migraine attack I used to get definite signs, mostly starting with repeated yawns. These were not the usual drowsy kind but more like a forced opening of the jaw as if body wants more oxygen! Next sign will be burps and the third used to be sweating even in AC. I would try to park the car in a shade and sleep when the yawnings start. This would be the best time for me to avoid worsening of my condition. But there were times when this was not possible and I had to continue driving. Once I start sweating, the only option I had was to sleep in a nice cosy bed with the minimal light and good aeration. Even then the throbbing headache follows sometimes.

So, the best way I feel is to identify patterns before your migraine attack and take precautions at the right time - medicine or any step that would help you prevent progression to the headache stage. If sleep helps, try to take short naps even before you get these signs. If nothing works, take a room and sleep it off. Don't continue driving.

[Dr.Procastinate]

Well, if minor illness means cough, cold or sore throat, then I guess it is fine to drive, albeit with necessary precautions.

If any body condition means that the person is not able to devote his/her total concentration on the road, as often happens with moderate-to-severe migraine and viral fever where fever is usually associated with fatigue and muscle pain, I guess it would be prudent to relinquish the driver seat for the course of the illness and to drive only if the situation absolutely demands so and that too only for short distances, as our ability to judge the traffic and react accordingly would be hampered. Driving with clouded consciousness is not only harmful for the driver but also for other road users and pedestrians alike.

[Thad E Ginathom]

I once had to pull in to the side of a London (UK) major road (North Circular, and I doubt that it was a legal stopping place), stop, close my eyes, and sleep until I could continue. It was not safe to do otherwise. I had a severe fever. Same as taking a break when you are tired, but more urgent.

I get migraine. These days (years) it is just the visual disturbance symptoms and it lasts only about ten to thirty minutes. Can't drive safely with world swirling in front of my eyes: must wait it out.

Otherwise, it's an imperfect world, health is not always 100%, that's life and we get on with it.

[rajeevsulu]

Any condition which renders you less than 100%, warrants that you don't drive. However, situations may arise where you may have to drive with minor conditions. All you need to do is be xtra careful. Most importantly, avoid driving after taking medication for cold etc. Antihistamines make you drowsy.
Cheers

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

We as adults should be wise enough to adjudge as to whether we are physically fit at the moment to drive the distance involved.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Otherwise, it's an imperfect world, health is not always 100%, that's life and we get on with it.

They put it succinctly. It is upto us to take the call considering the risks associated with the poor health conditions.

If you take antihistamines or other drugs containing sedatives, you will be better off not driving. But I had driven 300 km with a viral fever as I had no choice. I had to return to Madras with family as at that time no one else could drive in my family. I just managed with aspirins and coffee.

[Thad E Ginathom]

One should heed the warnings on medicines which affect one's ability to drive. Not to do so may be as irresponsible (and illegal) as DUI.

One should take into account anything which affects performance or judgement. Be aware, drive accordingly, and do not forget just because of getting comfortable in the car.

Of course, it is not the time to make unnecessary journeys.

[vredesbyrd]

Avoid driving when in pain. Take a breather and like everyone has said, ensure driving isn't hampered by medication.
I have diabetes and sometimes get hypoglycemic attacks (low sugar), which causes sweating, irritable behaviour, weakness and blurred vision (can lead to a coma if left unattended).

So my Vento used to and now my Scorpio has a permanent bag full of munchables so that whenever the condition triggers, I can simply pull over and:

[SS-Traveller]

Very contradictory thread title, IMHO. No illness is a MINOR illness until you are cured of it. Fever and migraine have different manifestations and degrees, and there are many illnesses that patients consider minor, but turn out to be major in medical terms. It is very difficult for the ill person to judge objectively whether s/he is fit enough to drive, and though s/he may consider subjectively that nothing will happen, the health situation may suddenly take a turn for the worse and lead to a situation / condition that is completely unsafe in terms of driving.

If you are not feeling very fit, and yet need to drive for extended periods of time, talk to your physician first, who would probably have a better insight and overview into what may be wrong with you, what medication you can carry to prevent your condition getting worse, and whether you should drive at all.

An incident to note: 20 years ago, I needed to make a day trip by road to Jaipur from Delhi. That early morning, I was feeling slightly unwell and feverish but thought nothing of it. Popped an antipyretic, and accompanied by my wife, set off. As the hours went by, my malaise increased. By the time we were at Jaipur, I was running a temperature of 102°F. After lunch and a couple more antipyretic tablets, the fever settled to 99°F, and I thought the worse was over. On the way back, I had a sudden onset of chills and rigor (so much so that I had to turn off the AC, though this was June), and by the time I stopped at a dhaba, my body temperature was 104°F. We were both aware that I had already taken the maximum permissible daily dose of the particular antipyretic, and fortunately we were carrying another antipyretic drug that I could take. 2 hours later, the fever subsided, and I could start driving again. Back home late that night, I stayed in bed for the subsequent 4 days due to a viral infection.

This incident highlights the point that both of us have some medical training, yet made the mistake of undertaking the drive - and didn't run into major trouble or get stranded, because we carried our own medicines, and could talk to our physician friend when required. For the lay person, that high fever would be extremely alarming, and may necessitate a stop at a local hospital - where the doctors need not necessarily be trustworthy or well-trained.

Next time you need to drive long distances / duration and are not feeling fully fit, I repeat, talk to your doctor first. Take a driver (either hired, or a friend / relative), don't be alone in the car, and be aware of what medicines you need to carry and how much you can take at a time.

[Kosfactor]

Assuming the context is long distances \ out of town - If you are the only driver or the designated driver, avoid getting into any activities that can make you fall sick or minor injuries etc.

You have to commit to this important task of driving while enjoying other niceties in life \ vacation and so on.

However if you are sick, avoid driving because people tend to be very irritable when sick and can take decisions from behind the wheel that would be a cause for regret later.

[GeeTee TSI]

Reflecting on corporate policies experienced, driving is barred even if under medication (rather than a wishful belief that as one gets into the driving the effects of the illness will be countered). I have always found it surprising that the most stringent rules (which are also the most safety focused) exist in corporate driving policies, whereas we (also guilty of personally) tend to look for workarounds when ferrying our precious families!

The challenge is when the destination ETA matters more than the condition of the driver, in which case our resourceful mind will come up with adaptable solutions. Stop, rest, wind up driving for the day (check into a hotel), resume in a cab and pick up the car later - any of these can be an option than manage driving whilst the condition persists.

[NomadSK]

We all fall sick from time to time, and while it can be natural to ignore your symptoms (if minor), you could be doing more harm than good. Driving on medication is more or less considered to be a distracted driving with poor reflexes and It can be considered to be on par with drunk driving. Medications for cognitive conditions that you think you’ve got under control can be problematic too.

As such, when you’re feeling far from your best or feeling sick or on dose of medication which will hamper your driving, be sure to take the time off from the steering wheel and rest up. By doing so, your health and other road users will thank you for it.

If at all something is urgent, seek for someone’s help to drive you around or consult a doctor before you proceed ahead with the drive. At the end you will be the best judge for your own safety and the safety of the other users on the road.

A link for driving with cold as an eye opener;

https://https://www.cbsnews.com/news...driving-drunk/