Aug 02, 2019
3 min read
People who would never dream of driving drunk can occasionally be careless about drugged driving that stems essentially from prescription drugs. We’re not talking about illicit drugs. There are many legal substances inclusive of over-the-counter medications which can make you unfit for driving. And if a law-enforcing officer catches you driving while impaired by one of these drugs, you will get a DUI.
Here’s the section of the Criminal Code that applies to this offense:
| Every one commits an offense who drives a motor vehicle … or has the control or care of a motor vehicle … while the individual’s ability to drive the vehicle, aircraft, vessel, or railway equipment is compromised by alcohol or a drug (illicit or prescribed).” |
It is important to note that the word is “drug.” The Code doesn’t issue a distinction between heroin, marijuana, and NyQuil.
Some prescription medications that can easily result in an impaired driving arrest:
Research reveals that the use of opioids can adversely influence driving performance, with the degree of impairment based on the specific opioid used, dosage, previous use, and individual tolerance, time of day consumed.
Opiates include morphine and codeine.
Presently, there is trivial evidence to associate SSRIs or dual action agents with compromised driving performance. Though limited, research specifies that the use of tricycle antidepressants is related to impairments in driving performance. This is evident by elevated crash rates and advocated by several driving offense lawyers as well as measures of on-road performance and laboratory tests of cognitive and psychomotor functioning.
Generally, individuals with epilepsy are predisposed to adverse driving outcomes, which may result from either episodic impairment (seizures) or persistent impairments from the treatment.
Research reveals that the use of older antihistamines may compromise driving performance. However, newer antihistamines consumed in therapeutic doses do not appear to escalate the risk of impaired driving outcomes.
Drug offense lawyers state that the use of sedatives and hypnotics is associated with a significant risk for impaired driving outcomes.
One of the potential dangers of this form of driver impairment is that very few individuals are even aware of the phenomenon. Many patients are entirely unaware of the dangers that their prescription drugs can pose to driving safety, and doctors are frequently reluctant to discuss these types of issues.
Another aspect that makes driving while medicated so dangerous is that driving impairment can differ from individual to individual. One individual may encounter that their ability to drive safely is absolutely unaffected by even great doses of maintenance drugs, while someone else may feel awfully impaired after just a single dose.
It should be noted that that medication does not have to be prescription-based to inflict damage. Many over-the-counter medications, inclusive of cold remedies that contain sedatives like alcohol or cough remedies, can inflict poor driving ability and judgment.
Have you been accused of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol? Contact Gerri Wiebe criminal defense lawyer Winnipeg for a free 30-min confidential consultation.