Many Floridians know that drunk driving is against the law, but they might not realize that drugged driving is also illegal here. There are many types of substances that can lead to an impaired driving charge. They key is that the substance must alter your ability to drive in a way that makes it unsafe for you to be behind the wheel of the vehicle.
Impaired driving can come from legal and illegal substances. Over-the-counter medications can lead to this, as can prescriptions. Any medication that says it can cause dizziness, lethargy or fatigue has the possibility of causing mental alterations that can make it unsafe to drive.
Police officers have a challenging time on the roads due to drugged driving. They can’t let the behavior go, but it is often difficult to determine exactly what’s going on with a driver. Tools like the field sobriety test can help determine a driver’s ability to drive, but it doesn’t help them to pinpoint what substance is at the heart of the matter.
With the approval of medical marijuana in Florida, police officers have a big issues to contend with. The drug can remain in the system longer than the impairment lasts, but there is a chance that marijuana can take up to four hours to have the most impact on the driver. This means that a person who smokes it might not have an issue with driving right at first, but in a couple of hours, they might have problems.
In Florida, driving while high comes with the possibility of time in jail, losing your driver’s license and having to pay fines. If you’re facing a charge for drugged driving, make sure that you learn about the options you have for a defense strategy.