Driving condition and driving health

Three smiling young men sit in a car, and two of them are giving each other a high five.
  • Driving condition refers to the physical and mental state of a driver that can be impacted by fatigue or a strong emotional reaction, for example.
  • Driving health, on the other hand, refers to a state that is affected by a person’s illnesses and their treatment.
  • You shouldn’t drive a car if you are feeling ill, strange, tired or groggy.
  • Driving Licence Act (in Finnish) contains more specific provisions on the health of drivers.

A vehicle may not be driven by anyone who, due to illness, disability, injury, fatigue, intoxication or any other similar reason, lacks the necessary qualifications to do so.

Road Traffic Act, § 17

Five tips on how to take care of your driving condition

  1. Make a habit of assessing your driving condition always before driving. Drive only when you are fit to drive. As a passenger you can observe the driving condition of the driver.

  2. Avoid driving when tired. Try to get at least six hours of sleep the night before driving. If necessary, take a nap before driving. Note that some medications such as antihistamines can make you drowsy.

  3. Take a break often. Reserve time for breaks in your travel plan.

  4. Avoid driving when ill. When you are ill, you should rest. Emotional turmoil can also affect your driving capacity. It is crucially important that if you are feeling stressed or upset, you never take it out on others on the road. For instance, after an argument, agitation can cause your attention to slip from the traffic.

  5. Don’t drink if you drive. Remember that alcohol can affect your driving ability even the next day. Many medications are not compatible with alcohol.

     

    Source: Finnish Road Safety Council

With the BAC Counter, you can calculate an estimation of how much time it will take for the alcohol you have consumed to leave your body.

BAC Counter
In a green park, a slackline is stretched between trees, and one person walks barefoot along it.

One in four people have almost fallen asleep at the wheel.

Be aware of the effects of illness on driving health

  • Driving health can be affected by illness and lack of treatment, as well as by the therapeutic equilibrium achieved.
  • A change in driving health can occur suddenly or over a longer period of time and can impact fitness to drive temporarily or permanently.
  • Illnesses that can affect a person’s driving health include epilepsy, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and memory disorders.
  • A more detailed list of illnesses affecting driving health can be found on the website of Traficom (in Finnish).