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Prescription medications can cause DWI charges

On Behalf of | Nov 21, 2019 | DWI |

One question a lot of people have is if they can face trouble with the law if their medications make them drive dangerously. The answer is yes because no matter what the cause is if you’re driving dangerously, you’re putting yourself and others in harm’s way. You can be arrested for driving under the influence even if you’re prescribed the medications that are influencing your behaviors.

It’s important to know that “under the influence” has a specific meaning. State law concludes that under the influence means that the driver had their ability to drive their vehicle appreciably affected in a negative way by a drug, alcohol or a combination of the two.

There are some defenses that you can use to help avoid a DWI if you were only taking prescription medications at the time of the arrest. For example, two include:

  • Being unaware of the side effects
  • Suffering from side effects that you don’t normally have

You should know that medications can cause numerous side effects including:

  • Drowsiness
  • Nausea
  • Fainting
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Blurry vision
  • Dizziness
  • Slowed movement
  • And more.

If you have not taken a medication in the past, make sure you plan not to drive until you know how the medication affects you. Different medications affect people in various ways, so the way someone else reacts may not be the experience you have with the drug. It’s always best to wait to see how you react before you decide to get in your vehicle and drive. Doing this will help you stay safer and avoid a DWI.

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