When you think about DWI charges, your mind might naturally go to charges that relate to being over the limit for alcohol (a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent and above). While alcohol is the most common culprit when it comes to DWI charges, there are plenty of other substances that will suffice. In truth, the most important component of any DWI charge is proof of impairment – by whatever happens to be impairing you.
Other Common Sources of Impairment
There are a variety of substances that are commonly cited in impairment charges in the State of Texas.
Marijuana
While many people try to convince themselves that they are better drivers when they have some marijuana in their systems, this is simply not the case. Further, while marijuana is gaining legal status in many places across the country, it remains illegal in the State of Texas, and it is always illegal to drive while impaired (regardless of what the substance is that causes you to be impaired). Some of the dangerous effects of marijuana behind the wheel include:
A reduction in one’s coordination
Slowed reaction times
Poor judgment
An inability to multitask
Cocaine and Methamphetamine
Cocaine and methamphetamine are both stimulants that are illegal across the nation and can cause serious impairment, including the following dangerous effects:
Recklessness
Aggressiveness
Both of these can prove fatal behind the wheel.
Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medications
Prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications are not illegal in and of themselves (unless you obtain them illegally), but they are associated with impairments (that correlate with how your body reacts to them and to the amount you have taken). Some of the most common forms of impairment associated with these drugs include:
Extreme drowsiness
Significant dizziness
Other side effects that are listed on the drug’s warning label
Combining Drugs and/or Mixing Them with Alcohol
The effects of drugs tend to be amplified when they are combined together and/or are mixed with alcohol, and the level of impairment that results can be debilitating to the motorist.
In Addition to the DWI Charge
It is important to keep in mind that if you are charged with impairment in relation to marijuana, another illegal drug, and/or prescription medication that was illegally obtained, you may also face possession charges, which can complicate your case considerably.