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Navigating Alpharetta DUI Laws While Taking ADHD Medications: What Drivers Should Know
With Georgia’s driving laws undergoing rapid evolution, those affected need a reliable source to make informed decisions and navigate their legal journey with confidence.
An arrest for DUI can incur severe fines, license suspension and other penalties that threaten driving privileges. This article outlines ways you can safeguard your driving privileges with these tips for protecting them:
1. Keep Your Medications Safe
If you take ADHD medications, be sure to store it somewhere that you cannot easily gain access. Doing this may prevent diversion – when someone else takes your drugs without your permission and uses them without consent; diversion may have serious health repercussions.
If a police officer suspects you of driving under the influence of drugs, they must have valid reasons to stop your vehicle and search it. Such reasons could include witnessing an unstable driving pattern or finding drug paraphernalia inside.
Jim Yeargan can assist in guiding you through this stressful experience. Contact his firm immediately for a complimentary case consultation; his office is open even on weekends and holidays! Moreover, as a former DUI prosecutor with extensive experience fighting for clients’ rights he knows exactly how best to represent you in court.
2. Be Cooperative With Law Enforcement
DUI arrests in Alpharetta require the assistance of a skilled lawyer; Jim Yeargan and his dedicated team are always on call 24/7 to guide their clients through this arduous experience.
If you were pulled over with an unlawful blood alcohol content (BAC), our Alpharetta DUI lawyer will request an administrative license suspension hearing where the judge will decide whether your license suspension should stand on preponderance of evidence (a lower standard than beyond reasonable doubt).
As part of the discovery process, your attorney will examine police incident reports that contain notes written by officers about what occurred at the time you were pulled over. All parties involved must share all pertinent information freely with one another.
3. Decline Field Sobriety Tests
If asked to take a field sobriety test, it is wise to politely decline and avoid aggravating the officer. Your attorney can assist in explaining how your medical condition could impede this test; additionally they may examine any incident reports for notes taken against you by officers which can later be used against you in court proceedings.
Field sobriety tests typically consist of having drivers stand on one leg, recite letters of the alphabet or count out loud aloud while following the officer’s moving finger while keeping their eyes straight ahead. Many ADHD sufferers often struggle with these simple tests and might jerk their heads around or not follow instructions properly, leading them to fail standardized tests.
4. Don’t Volunteer Information About Your Medical Treatment
If you drive while under the influence of drugs prescribed by your physician, such as pain killers or sleep aids, DUI charges could apply. Under Georgia state law, driving while impaired by any substance impairs one’s ability to operate a vehicle safely.
An Alpharetta DUI attorney can work to minimize the repercussions of a first offense DUI conviction on your life and may help fight to lessen its effect.
Jim Yeargan has decades of experience defending DUI cases at both Alpharetta Municipal Court and Fulton County State or Superior Court, as well as with their respective prosecutors and judges who will hear your case.
5. Keep Your Medications Discreetly Secured
People with ADHD are at increased risk of car accidents; research indicates that medication treatment reduces these risks. Teens with ADHD are four times more likely to be involved in an accident; adults with ADHD experience twice as many traffic incidents and lose their license five times faster than people without this disorder.
Parents of teenagers with ADHD should encourage them to practice driving in low-stimulation environments with few distractions, including no cruise control use which may increase distraction. Furthermore, parents may wish to help their child secure an early permit and postpone licensure until older. In addition, clear ground rules must be set including no phone use while driving and limiting who they transport with until older.
