Driving Under the Influence of Drugs in California

Ventura DUID Attorney Offers Tough Defense

California Vehicle Code § 23152 states that driving under the influence of drugs is an unlawful act for any individual to commit. Typically, alcohol is associated with charges for driving under the influence (DUI). Driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) arrests involve people who have been operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated with any type of drug. Under the state law, it is illegal for drivers of motor vehicles to be impaired by alcohol, illegal drugs, or medication while operating the vehicle. Any substance that can affect an individual's nervous system, besides alcohol, is considered a drug in this context.

If you are facing an arrest for driving under the influence of drugs, speak with our Ventura DUI attorneys at Wilfert Law, PC today!

Information Regarding Narcotic / Drug DUIs

Drivers must be aware of the side effects that medications can cause. Whether you are influenced by an over-the-counter medication, prescription medication, or illegal substance, you can be arrested for driving under the influence of drugs.

Mental and physical abilities can be impaired with even a minor amount of a drug which, as a result, can affect the driver's ability to properly operate a vehicle. If you are pulled over under suspicion of a DUID, you are held to California's implied consent law. You automatically give your consent to take a chemical test to determine your level of intoxication when you obtain a California driver's license.

What are the penalties for driving under the influence of drugs?

DUID charges are different than DUI of alcohol charges because there is no set intoxication measurement standard. Depending on many factors, such as your state of intoxication, you can either be charged with a misdemeanor or felony. DUIDs are prosecuted in the same manner as an alcohol DUI. Drivers who are under suspicion of drug intoxication are subject to testing by a drug recognition expert (DRE). Our team's lead attorney, who is also a former Ventura DUI prosecutor, is a trained drug recognition expert and knows how to analyze and challenge evidence against you.