Alcohol is no longer the main culprit of impaired driving. Officers today are finding more and more individuals driving erratically due to the influence of sleep aids.
Aaron Stringer, a five-year veteran of the Bakersfield police force, was recently charged with driving under the influence of a sleeping agent while on his way to work. Witnesses saw him bump into an air conditioning unit near his apartment and swerve across several lanes of traffic. Stringer's blood revealed that he had recently taken Zolpidem, a sleep aid drug commonly known as Ambien.
Despite the fact that Stringer had a valid prescription for the drug, driving under the influence of this sedative is dangerous and illegal in California.
The use of sedative-hypnotic drugs like Ambien and Lunesta has led to what experts call "sleep driving" which the FDA describes as driving while not fully awake and the driver's inability to remember the driving event. Individuals have witnessed drivers under the influence of sleep aids demonstrate behavior similar to drunk driving including running into parked cars, driving in the wrong direction, and driving over sidewalks without realizing that anything out of the ordinary has happened.
Because of these exact reasons, California has banned individuals from driving under the influence of sleep aids like Ambien. Pairing this type of drug with alcohol, for example, only increases the effects.
The Help of an Attorney
If you or someone you know faces charges involving driving under the influence of a sleep aid or prescription drug, it's important to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney in your area.
