Ambien and Driving-Not A Good Mix

Ambien, the United States most popular insomnia medication, has been linked to numerous accidents on the roadway in recent months. The sleeping medication, manufactured by Sanofi-Aventis, has been said to cause “rare adverse events of sleep walking” and can be deadly when taken by an unwary driver. Forensic toxicologists Laura Liddicoat in one study examining blood samples of 2300 impaired drivers in Wisconsin found that 53 of the most extreme cases of erratic behavior in the study all had Ambien in the blood. Many people who take Ambien experience memory loss and do not remember their specific actions after taking the drug like driving a car. The manufacturer has cautioned those who use the medication to be very careful and use the drug only as directed in order to avoid harming themselves and/or others around them. Based on this Ambien article, that alone does not appear it is going to be enough to stop the wide spread problem.