Driving under the influence: This prescription medication could cost you your driving privilege

As someone who drives, you know that driving while drunk or under the influence of any other hard substance could land you in trouble. But most people don’t consider driving while having taken a prescription or over the counter drug, a potential offence. A change made last year in the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 introduced new rules on what prescribed drugs can be taken whilst driving, The Northern Echo reports.

Driving after taking meds

Similar to illegal drug use, getting behind the steering wheel when you have taken either prescription or over the counter medication could affect your driving in so many dangerous ways. It is considered an offence to be driving after taking more than a specified limit of certain drugs, especially if they were not prescribed to you.

These include, amphetamine, Clonazepam, Diazepam, Flunitrazepam, Lorazepam, Methadone, Morphine or opiate and opioid-based drugs (for example Codeine, Tramadol or Fentanyl), Oxazepam and Temazepam. You will be let off the hook if you can prove that you’ve been prescribed these drugs and that you are sticking to the prescribed dosage.

If your GP prescribes any of the above medications to you, and you are not sure how they might interfere with your ability to drive, you should always ask them or a pharmacist or other healthcare professionals.

The risks of drug driving

You can randomly be stopped by the police and asked to do a ‘field impairment assessment’ if there’s any reason to suspect you may be on drugs. You could be charged with a crime if any of the result of these tests – walking in a straight line or blood or urine test – suggest that you may be on drugs. There is the risk of prosecution if you drive in excess of the legal threshold of the above medicinal drugs and have not been prescribed them, The Northern Echo said.

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Sources used:

The Northern Echo: See the prescription medication that could get you banned from driving