Calling for a sober ride may be easy after a few drinks, but heading out on your work commute after taking an over-the-counter medication to combat a surprise allergy attack might not. Both legal and illegal drugs have side effects that can lead to disastrous outcomes.

You may be now facing a charge for driving under the influence (DUI) due to nonprescription or prescription drugs. Whether you legally or illegally took a medication could make or break your case. However, getting down the reason your driving abilities worsened without immediately realizing it will be worth finding out if you'd like to attempt to lower penalties you may face or prevent future mishaps.

Legal drugs with dangerous side effects

You may be surprised to hear that are many drugs people take day in and day out that improve their life yet can impair their driving. Specifically, antidepressants, pain relievers, decongestants, antihistamines, sleeping aids or medical marijuana can all seriously impact a driver's abilities. While available through a legal prescription or over-the-counter purchase, these medications could alter one's driving via side effects like drowsiness, sedation, dizziness, poor coordination, image distortion and delayed reaction time. The issue is that just because a doctor or law says you can medicate with a particular drug, if impairment is a side effect, then a California law enforcement officer can legally deal out a DUI arrest.

Building a strong defense

Even if taking a legal drug before driving leads to a valid DUI charge, that doesn't mean it's not worth challenging. Sometimes mistakes, misinformation or a bad combination of drugs, drinks or a lack of sleep could all lead to a DUI charge. So, if you feel that any part of your arrest was unfair, it's crucial to entrust an experienced attorney to seek the justice you deserve.

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