Highway fatalities associated with drunk driving have dropped significantly over the past few years.  However, law enforcement agencies in Las Vegas and around the country are grappling with a new threat - motorists driving under the influence of prescription drugs.

Unlike with alcohol, where there is general agreement regarding the maximum legal amount of alcohol that can be present in the system - there are no such criteria for the presence of prescription drugs in the system.  There are also no easy ways to prosecute or charge motorists who are driving under the influence of medications.  Sometimes the medications may remain in the person’s system for weeks after the person has taken the drug.  Other times, impaired driving is the result of a combination of drugs in the person’s system.  It's no secret that Americans are addicted to prescription drugs, and many are on more than one medication.  That has led to more and more numbers of drugged drivers on our streets, causing accidents.

Most people know that cold and cough medications can induce drowsiness, and must not be taken before driving.  There are also drowsiness and fatigue-related symptoms associated with the use of certain painkillers.  However, there are drugs that can impact your driving abilities beyond merely causing drowsiness.  For instance, anti-anxiety drugs can leave a person feeling less than alert, and can slow down his reaction times considerably.  Stimulants can make a person aggressive, lower his inhibitions and encourage risk-taking, and may also impact a person's ability to judge distances.  These can then have a potentially serious impact on a person's driving.  Besides, prescription drug abuse is far too rampant in American society.  Many people think nothing of combining these medications with alcohol, with potentially disastrous consequences if they then begin to drive.

The problem with driving under the influence of prescription drugs is so acute some law enforcement officers are referring to prescription drugs as the new cocaine.  Las Vegas DUI accident lawyers see far too many challenges in keeping such drivers off the roads.  Many people are not aware of the side effects of the drugs they're taking, or that some of the drugs they take may interact with other medications.  Our overstretched public healthcare system does not always allow doctors to info

rm patients of each and every side effect of the medications.