On some medications that you buy, the warning label will tell you not to operate heavy machinery after taking them. Many people instinctively think of a construction site. They assume this means they shouldn’t operate a crane, a jackhammer, an excavator or something of that nature. For most people, this isn’t something they were going to do anyway, so they don’t pay much attention to the warning label.
It’s important to remember that a motor vehicle counts as heavy machinery. If you use these medications and then drive, you could be charged with impaired driving. Even worse, you or others could be seriously injured or killed.
How does medication cause impairment?
It really depends on the type of medication you’re taking. However, there are many prescription and over-the-counter medications that, while safe and legal for you to use, can severely impact your ability to drive.
One example is any medication that contains a sleep aid. If you’ve been dealing with a head cold and take a popular liquid cold medicine that also acts as a sleep aid, it could make you fatigued and drowsy, impacting your reaction times. It could also cause you to nod off behind the wheel.
With many prescription medications, the problem is that they can lead to serious side effects. There’s a reason why many people take painkillers recreationally, for example. But even if you are legally taking them, you still need to be conscious of the fact that those painkillers could cause you to feel high and disoriented. If you’re in that type of cognitive state while driving, the police could still arrest you.
As you can see, a simple oversight could lead to an arrest and impaired driving charges. If you find yourself in this position, be sure you know what defense options you have.
