Driving under the influence of drugs like cocaine, meth, opioids, and cannabis impacts your ability to function as well as when sober which is crucial to operating responsibly. Even prescription medications can interfere with the ability to be a safe driver. Yet, people will continue to drive under the influence because they are irresponsible or they underestimate how much of an impact these drugs have on their driving capabilities. Let's take a look at some of the effects drug use can have behind the wheel:
Cocaine - Cocaine is a powerful stimulant that decreases your ability to make good decisions and use sound judgment. Driving under its effects can make a user feel overconfident and impulsive and reduces the ability to concentrate. This drug can even cause episodes of psychosis.
Meth - The effects of meth use while driving are very similar to cocaine since both are stimulants. Driving while under the influence of meth is associated with aggressive and reckless behavior.
Opioids - Beyond inhibiting pain and causing drowsiness, opioids can interfere with night vision and reduce attention spans, reaction times, and coordination abilities, all of which are critical driving skills.
Hallucinogens - LSD, magic mushrooms, peyote, and ecstasy all have hallucinogenic properties, which make a user see and hear things that are not there. Users will have distorted visual perceptions, making it hard to judge speed and distance. Drivers under the influence of hallucinogenics may experience a decreased ability to coordinate and react when behind the wheel.
Ecstasy - Ecstasy is a stimulant with hallucinogenic properties lasting up to six hours. It can give drivers a false sense of confidence, distorts visual perception, decreases reaction time and concentration skills, and increases risk-taking behavior.
Cannabis - Although cannabis has been legalized in many states for recreational use, it's still illegal to drive while under its effects. Drivers can experience slower reaction times and hesitancy, distance and speed can be distorted, and concentration and coordination abilities will be affected.
Prescription medications - Since driving requires good coordination and mental awareness, many legally prescribed medications can impact the ability to drive safely. When different medications are combined, the effects can be even more significant. Many medications can cause drowsiness, increase aggressive behavior, and cause poor concentration, blurred vision, and slowed reaction times. The problem with prescription medicines and driving is that drivers may not know when they are impaired and, thus, drive illegally. Anyone who snorts cocaine and gets behind the wheel knows that what they are doing is illegal. Still, if someone causes an accident under the influence of prescription drugs, they might be held liable for any damages.
There has been a lot of evidence that drug use is on the rise, especially now when thousands of prescription drugs are available and prescribed for every malady under the sun. While most illegal drug users know the score of driving while under the influence, prescription drug users may ignore instructions from their pharmacist or not take product warnings seriously.