[Joelinf]

Dear bhpians: driving means a lot for us. What if we have a fever or migraine during driving? What precautions are to be followed for such minor illnesses? Should we stop driving till we get normal or is it ok to drive with some moderate uneasiness? Can't find a relevant thread.

[Geo_Ipe]

Originally Posted by Joelinf

Dear bhpians: driving means a lot for us. What if we have a fever or migraine during driving? What precautions are to be followed for such minor illnesses? Should we stop driving till we get normal or is it ok to drive with some moderate uneasiness? Can't find a relevant thread.

Yes you need to STOP driving if you are physically unwell. Something which you may consider as minor or moderate, like a fever or a headache will tire you out and can cause your reflexes to slow.

I do get migraine attacks and I always carry my headache meds in the car. A migraine doesn't attack suddenly - you'll know when it's starting. The key is to take the pain killer early and not allowing it to blow up into a full on attack. I make sure I'm well hydrated, even though it means more frequent bio breaks and wear sunglasses as glare is a trigger factor for me.

If you're alone & feel uneasy, pull over and take a 30-45 minute break. Take your meds, hydrate yourself & then only continue. If you have someone else to share the wheel with, do not hesitate to ask them to take the wheel - no shame in doing so.

Yes, driving does mean a lot to all of us - provided it is done SAFELY!

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by Joelinf

Dear bhpians: driving means a lot for us. What if we have a fever or migraine during driving? What precautions are to be followed for such minor illnesses? Should we stop driving till we get normal or is it ok to drive with some moderate uneasiness? Can't find a relevant thread.

Long drives need some preparation, planning. If I am going to be driving 8+ hours without additional driver (or if I am riding solo motorcycle), I do these things the previous day.

• Rest very well, sleep well overnight.
• Hydrate very well.
• Refrain from unusual strenuous physical activity.
• Refrain from heavy drinking, prevent hangovers.
• Avoid adventurous food, like spice level that I am not used to.

I know someone who ran a marathon, celebrated by drinking with friends, woke up in the morning and started driving back home with a passenger. With hangover, cramps, etc ended up in a crash. Its important to understand your own body. What is possible for others is not necessarily possible for ourselves.

If you are sick and its a short distance that you have to go, like pick up food for survival, or to the doc - just use Uber/Ola. Why take chances? People have crashed their cars, when they get couple sneezes back to back. Its that easy to crash when distracted. Being sick is certainly a huge distraction.

[revsperminute]

Originally Posted by Joelinf

Should we stop driving till we get normal or is it ok to drive with some moderate uneasiness? Can't find a relevant thread.

Minor illnesses such as dull headache, dry cough, and blocked nose are non-issues for short drives i.e. < 2 hours, 100kms.

The line must be drawn where one's illness affects one's ability to drive by slowing their reflexes, a fuzzy head, drowsiness etc.

Speaking from experience, had to drive from Shirdi to Mumbai at night with a terrible headache one time. Gulped down 2 shots of espresso and a pain-med during the drive. Although I was safe to drive, I would never like to repeat it.

[supermax]

In Sweden, driving when ill or when fatigued, or sleep deprived is treated exactly as drunk driving; with a stiff fine and impounded license. Minor cold, throat pain etc should be okay, but a severe headache or even a very persistent cough is not good to drive with.

[McLaren Rulez]

There's no objective way to measure how ill you are, nor is every drive the same. We certainly have no law against it so this is one of those millions of things where you just use good judgement.

[Bala02]

Prioritizing safety and health is essential

Assess your condition honestly.

Take necessary precautions and keep yourself hyderated with lemon juice,tender coconut or even Orsl. Important thing is to stay hyderated

Keep medicines handy and take non drowsy medicines that will help you

Plan your journey route and start time wisely to avoid traffic that will keep your stress levels less and take frequent breaks.

Stay aware, be cautious, and pull over if symptoms worsen.

There can be nothing more important than our lives and that of our loved ones, everything else can wait. Never embark on a journey if you are unsure

[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.

If the answer is "yes" can go ahead. If "no" we must decide not to drive but either take help from a driver, friend or else engage an aggregator's cab.

It is always advisable to drive a four wheeler even if we feel a wee bit unwell. Its less strenous than driving a two wheeler.Always avoid driving a two wheeler with even a minor health setback.

[raptor_diwan]

Mild fever and migraine usually won't affect you much, and you can continue driving, but it's important to take frequent breaks.

I remember when I had a severe fever and cold, and I had to drive myself to the hospital. I wasn't feeling well, but there was no one else available to take me, and it was during a lockdown. However, once I started driving, I automatically gained concentration, and I didn't drive recklessly. I was very cautious and drove perfectly. I felt a little better when I reached the destination. Sometimes, during long drives, I used to experience migraines. As an adult, you can handle it, but it's necessary to take breaks. Only in emergency situations where driving is absolutely necessary should you do so. Planning a tour or engaging in fun activities while driving with a fever is like punishing yourself.

[cdrajeevkumar]

Health and safety above all! If it’s minor illness like a dull headache/ body ache, it’s always better to stop driving and handover the drive to another capable driver. Minor illnesses if ignored may lead to decision impairment thus causing risk of accident / injury!

[montsa007]

Wouldn't recommend driving, you're not only putting yourself, but co-passengers & others at risk.

What if one has a sudden shooting pain while driving at 60 Kmph on a highway or main road with no exits nearby? Something we cannot predict/control/plan in advance, it'll be a painful experience.

[Raghu M]

A migraine is by no means small illness. A person loses his/her ability to think properly leave alone drive. I think anything that makes one uncomfortable warrants for immediate rest. You not only put yourself at risk but all the others on the road. I saw if I could drive with a mild fever once, but turned out that it increased after an hour into my drive. Had to pull aside and take rest for 2 hours before the medication kicked in and the fever subsided.

[ToThePoint]

One shouldn't drive for long if you have migraine or fever.

Fever can make you drowsy while migraine impairs your judgement and makes you irritable - all detrimental to safety. Avoid driving and take rest.

[Neurodoc]

Originally Posted by Joelinf

Dear bhpians: driving means a lot for us. What if we have a fever or migraine during driving? What precautions are to be followed for such minor illnesses? Should we stop driving till we get normal or is it ok to drive with some moderate uneasiness? Can't find a relevant thread.

I have migraine myself and I avoid driving if i am having severe one. If its just heaviness of head, i do small drives. If fever best to avoid long drives, it makes you tired and wont allow your body to get the rest it requires.

Migraine is definitely no for long drives.

[Aakash]

Considering that you can process your surroundings and that minor illness doesn't slow down your response time, I believe it's not recommended but sometimes we don't necessarily have a choice.

I still remember, back when COVID-19 started to subside, I took my second dose of vaccine at Apollo hospital. And immediately after that injection, I had to attend a Pooja at a friend's place, post which me and my then girlfriend (now ex) got an emergency pet abuse call from Thane which we rushed to attend, with me fully knowing I'll end up being sick. I could feel it coming.

All said and done, I was driving back home with my ex, and I could feel the body pain, fever, neck ache and muscle soreness creep in.

Driving at 80 kmph felt like 100 kmph at that moment. I felt my reaction time come down and I was shivering.

I stopped, stretched and a quick hand massage later, somehow drove back 50 kms.

To conclude, it's situational considering how ill you are and the severity of it. Because driving in those situations, would mean stressing out the body more than it usually performs.

Driving in those conditions could show a negative change in your driving method and reactions. Which may end up in a bad situation.

Cheers.