Driving Under the Influence Includes More Than Just Alcohol
Last month Tiger Woods was arrested for driving under the influence. You can watch the full arrest here. What is unique here is the total lack of alcohol in Tiger’s system. Typically we associate DUIs’ with having too much to drink. But in this case, Tiger had an unexpected reaction to Vicodin.
Due to Tiger’s well documented history of back pain, it’s no surprise that he uses pain killers such as Vicodin. But this does not get him off the hook for driving under the influence. The term DUI applies to all things that affect the central nervous system. Which, Vicodin absolutely does.
This brings up a lot of questions for drivers. Double check your prescription to see if it will affect your central nervous system before getting into the car. Typically, things like anti-biotics, vitamins, and flu medicines are not considered to impair a driver’s ability. But anything involving painkillers or medicine that warns of drowsiness can be a red flag for an officer.
According to T.C.A. 55-10-401(1), the government must prove that the prescription medication impaired the driver’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. The best way to know if your current medication falls into this category look closely at the warnings on the label. If it says to “not operate heavy machinery” then there is a chance you will get a DUI.
What’s most confusing about this area of law is the lack of set standards of intoxication. For example, most states have a .08 or a .10 limit to your blood alcohol level. With prescription drugs however, there is no way to tell how much of it is in your system. To help deal with this issue, here are some tips to avoiding a DUI while taking prescription medication.
Make sure you use the medication exactly as it has been prescribed. If you doctor recommended a certain dose, and is aware of your daily routine, then you can always present to a court that you were simply doing what you were told by your doctor.
Read the labels clearly. Labels well tell you how severely you will be impaired by the medication. Anything that warns against operating heavy machinery is an indicator that you should not be driving. Because after all a car is a heavy machine.
Finally, get specific advice from your doctor, preferably in writing. If they see no problem with you driving while taking your prescribed medication, then chances are you are in the clear. Just follow the instructions and drive safely.