When you get certain types of medication, usually those that come with a prescription, the instructions will list a number of warnings. One of these warnings may say that you should not operate heavy machinery after taking the medicine in question.
Many people simply skim over the instructions or do not read them at all. If you do read them, you may assume that this means you should not operate construction equipment or drive a forklift.
But this is a problematic assumption. What that instruction actually means is that you should not drive your car after taking the medicine. If you do, it opens up the door to potential impaired driving charges.
Alcohol is not required
The key thing to note here is that you do not have to drink alcohol to be charged with impaired driving. It is true that most impaired driving cases do involve alcohol and are therefore often referred to as drunk driving arrests. But assuming that alcohol must be involved is inaccurate.
If you are taking certain medications, such as painkillers, they could also impair your ability to drive. If an officer notices that impairment, they could still arrest you, even though a breath test would show that you did not have any alcohol in your system at the time.
Your defense options
Confusion over these regulations could lead to a scenario where you get arrested even though you did not know that you broke the law initially. If this happens, it is crucial that you understand what defense options you have and the steps to take moving forward.