Driving while under the influence of drugs brings to mind a scary boogeyman or reckless college student. However, the reality is far blander. The decriminalization and legalization of formerly illegal substances have led to a rise in drugged driving arrests. There is no uniform reporting and assessment system, so it is difficult to track the trends; each state is utilizing its own strategy to tackle the problem. This article will go over the risks of drugged driving and how you may break the law without even realizing it.

Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to be arrested for a drugged driving charge without consuming any illegal substances. You may not even realize that the prescription you are taking is impairing your judgment. A good rule is to heed the advice of your doctor and don’t drive if you feel unusual.

Drugs affect people in different ways. Some people hallucinate on pain killers and others are perfectly fine. This undermines police efforts to gather data and implement a uniform system to test drugged drivers. Alcohol tests are easy; a single blow in a breathalyzer can determine if a person is impaired or not.

Unfortunately, this is not true for driving while drugged. Without clear standards and an easy, scientifically-based test, prosecutors must rely on the observations of police officers. This creates uncertainty during the investigation and prosecution. It can leave you vulnerable to a particularly aggressive prosecutor or police officer.

If you were arrested while driving under the influence of drugs, then you will probably want to call a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. Driving while under the influence of anything is a serious charge. However, it can be managed if you are aggressive in your defense strategy. An attorney can review the facts to help you determine the best defense.