DUI Q&A Series - Can Taking Medication Result In a DUI?

prescribed medication

Summary

Can your prescription medication impair your ability to drive - causing a DUI? If an officer suspects your ability to drive is hindered by a prescription drug, even if it's prescribed to you, it can cause you to get a DUI. Talking to your doctor and reading the warning labels of your prescription is the best way to determine if you're safe to drive after taking a medication.

Transcript

Your prescription medication can affect your ability to drive.

Therefore you can be stopped, arrested, charged, and in some cases convicted while you're driving under the influence of validly prescribed medication.

It doesn't have to be illegal or illicit drugs.

Your validly prescribed medications can cause you to get a DUI, even if you're taking them as prescribed, and even if you personally feel your ability to drive isn't affected.

An officer who's investigating you for DUI could also call out a drug recognition expert officer, who will try to determine by observing you what type of medication you've taken and whether or not it's affecting you.

If you're not sure if your medication will affect your ability to drive, or even could affect your ability to drive, talk to your doctor and make sure you read the warning labels on your bottle.

That way, you can always make sure you're making the best decisions for you about whether or not you should drive after taking your medications.

Because if you're wrong, and your ability to drive is affected, you might end up with a DUI.

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