Drug DUI

Driving under the influence in New London and throughout the state of Connecticut is a broad term. It oftentimes refers to driving while intoxicated by alcohol, but it can also refer to driving under the influence of drugs – both legal and illegal. Any drug that could impair your ability to drive should not be consumed before getting behind the wheel. This includes prescription drugs and legal drugs such as marijuana. However, sometimes people do indulge in drug use and then drive, and sometimes they do not mean to do so. Regardless of the situation, this puts you at risk for being charged with a New London DUI. You can learn more about the drug DUI and what to do if you are arrested for one here.

What Happens at the Scene?

When a police officer pulls you over and suspects that you have been driving under the influence of an impairing substance, they may ask you to perform certain tests. The police may start with tests that detect alcohol since that is a common form of DUI. The police may ask you to perform many tests, but the most common are the field sobriety tests and the breath test. If these tests do not indicate impairment or if the police suspect that you are under the influence of drugs, they may want you to perform other types of tests.

The comparable test to the standardized field sobriety tests meant to detect drug use is the drug evaluation. This test can only be performed by a drug evaluation expert (DRE). An officer or law enforcement agent needs special training to be considered a DRE and perform this evaluation. Chances are that the officer who pulled you over is not a DRE, so they will need to contact a DRE and have them come to the scene.

The DRE test is a 12 step process that includes things such as divided attention testing, checking a person’s physical appearance, taking statements, and more. Ultimately it is likely that the DRE will ask for additional testing to be performed to determine if the suspect is under the influence of drugs and if so, which drugs are in their system. Additional testing may include blood tests, urine tests, or other chemical tests.

Penalties You Face

The penalties for a New London drug DUI are the same as for an alcohol-related DUI. This generally includes potential jail time, fines, a driver’s license suspension, probation, and community service. You may be subject to some or all of these consequences depending on your situation. There may be additional penalties that go along with a DUI conviction such as a negative impact on your job, fees from attorneys or courts, increased car insurance rates, and more.

Defending Yourself

Defenses for drug-related DUIs can differ from those for alcohol-related DUIs. For example, you may be able to argue that just because a test shows that certain drugs were in your system does not mean that they were actively impacting you at the time that you were driving. Some drugs can stay in a person’s system for weeks or even months, even if they are not having an effect.

At Lady DUI, we have worked with drug DUI cases before and can assist in building your defense. We will explore all possible options to make the strongest case for your freedom. We are here for you every step of the way. Get started today by contacting us for a free consultation.