Getting drugged drivers off the road

We all know that drunk drivers are a problem on Virginia roads, but what about drugged drivers?  These are the men and women who take perfectly legal prescription drugs that affect their ability to drive a car or truck and then they get behind the wheel anyway.  You may not realize it, but drugged drivers are such a big issue that police officers are being trained to spot them on the roads before they cause auto accidents and injure innocent people.

While illegal drugs that affect driving ability are also a problem, law enforcement officers are seeing more and more drivers on the road while under the influence of legal medications.  People either fail to read the warning labels on their prescriptions that state they should not drive while taking the drug or they simply discard the warning.  Many common drugs like the popular sleep aid Ambien are part of the problem, as people are so accustomed to taking them that they don’t think twice before getting behind the wheel.

However, it won’t be easy to get drugged drivers off the road.  There are several challenges, including:

• A lack of law enforcement officers trained to recognize drugged drivers
• No clear legal limit for drugged driving, similar to the BAC limit for drunk drivers
• No legal tests available for traffic enforcement officers to quickly test drivers to determine if they’re under the influence of a legal or illegal drug

If you suspect that you’ve been the victim of a drugged driver, then you should speak with an attorney.  Contact the experienced Virginia auto accident attorneys Dulaney, Lauer & Thomas, LLP at (800) 741-1012 for Culpeper or (888) 907-2631 for Warrenton today.