Wilmington Driving While High Lawyer

Protect Your Rights If You’ve Been Charged With Driving While High

Is driving while high dangerous? It depends. North Carolina has an impaired driving law, which means that driving under the influence – driving while high on weed, driving while high on bath salts, prescription drugs, alcohol, or any other substance – can lead to an impaired driving charge.

Is driving while high so dangerous that you deserve significant jail time? That’s where it gets tricky. Driving while high on weed is different than driving under the influence of alcohol. They’re two different things. A blood-alcohol content that’s more than twice the legal limit is arguably worse than driving while stoned, depending on what and how much is in your system.

Defending You Against Strict Driving While High Laws

Driving under the influence of drugs is a “per se” offense in North Carolina, meaning that you are considered impaired to drive if there are any drugs in your system, with limited exceptions. Schedule I drugs like methamphetamine may result in serious Level One or Level Two impaired driving charges, similar to the consequences of habitual or repeat DWI.

But driving while high on methamphetamine is much different than driving while high on weed, in terms of aggravating factors. It all depends on the facts of your case. For example:

• Blood tests. Blood tests commonly reveal the presence of illegal substances in your system long after you’ve taken them. In other words, you weren’t driving under the influence of drugs at the time of your arrest, and you didn’t pose a danger to others on the road.
• Prescription drugs. You may be taking prescription drugs as directed by a doctor. You may not have been aware how your body would tolerate or respond to the drugs. In criminal law, whether you actually intended to commit a crime still matters.

Effective Drugged Driving Defense Lawyers In Wilmington, North Carolina

North Carolina has begun to pay more attention to drugged driving in the last several years. Driving under the influence of drugs is every bit as serious as drunk driving in terms of the charges and punishment.

And prosecutors don’t discriminate; they’ll want to see that you get the maximum punishment available under the law, which is why you should contact a driving while impaired defense attorney as soon as you can when you’ve been arrested.

For a serious defense, contact us online or call 910-251-8080 to discuss your case.