If you are reported as consuming alcohol when working with Ryde, even if you are under the legal limit, you risk your account being permanently closed. This is inclusive of recreational drugs and any illegal substances.
The consumption of alcohol or drugs (including prescription drugs) impairs judgment, makes drivers over-confident, and makes drivers likely to take risks. It slows reactions, increases stopping distances, affects judgment of speed and distance, and reduces the field of vision. Even a small amount of alcohol, well below the legal limit, can seriously affect your ability to drive safely.
The Morning After
The ‘morning after’ is a dangerous time for impaired driving. It takes 1 hour for your body to process 1 unit of alcohol. So, for example, it could take 10 hours or more hours for your body to process the alcohol and become alcohol free. Many drink drivers are caught the morning after they have been drinking. It takes several hours for alcohol to disappear from the body, so if you were drinking late the previous night, you could easily still be over the limit on your way to work the next morning. Even if under the legal limit, you may still be affected by the alcohol in your body.
Medicines and driving
Check with your doctor or pharmacist whether any over-the-counter or prescribed medicines you are taking are likely to affect your driving (for example, by causing drowsiness). If so, ask for an alternative that does not affect driving, or avoid driving altogether.
Always check the label on medicines and the patient information leaflet for any warnings. There are many common drugs that have side effects that may impair your driving ability such as:
Sleeping tablets
Anti-depressants
Sedatives, tranquillisers or other medicines for anxiety
Some pain killers
Some allergy or hay-fever medicines
Many cough and cold remedies
Some medicines for epilepsy
Some medicines for diabetes
Some medicines for blood pressure or heart conditions
Some herbal remedies or supplements
Some medicines can make you feel fatigued. You may have impaired cognitive functioning or they make affect your confidence and emotional state.
Ryde will never discriminate based on medical condition, but it is vital you appreciate and respect effects on your ability to safely operate a mode of transport when on medication.
Illicit drugs
Illicit drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy affect drivers in different ways such as slower reaction times, aggressive behaviour, poor concentration, panic attacks and paranoia. As the effects of these drugs wear off, drivers may feel extremely fatigued.