Drug-Related Driving Offenses

DUI charges can be the result of drug-related impairment. Drivers charged with being impaired by drugs while operating a motor vehicle are subject to many of the same legal standards as alcohol-related Arizona DUI charges. In suspected DUI cases involving drugs, the officer may be able to force a urine sample to determine the detectable amount of a controlled substance in your system.

In Arizona, you are more likely to be stopped under suspicion of driving under the influence of an illegal substance than in most other states. In many states, a driver is much less likely to be charged with driving under the influence of an illegal substance than driving under the influence of a legal substance, like alcohol. Because all states have alcohol-related "per se" laws similar to Arizona's DUI per se standard, a legal level for blood alcohol concentration (BAC) without regard to level of impairment is grounds for arrest. Although no practical way to link per se levels for drugs to impairment has been determined, Arizona is one of just a few states that has a per se laws for drugs; in Arizona, it is illegal for a driver to have any amount of a prohibited substance or drug, or its by-product, in his or her system while driving or controlling a motor vehicle.

An individual who is arrested for causing a fatal accident while under the influence of drugs may also be charged with of homicide by motor vehicle, potentially resulting in negligent homicide, vehicular manslaughter or second degree murder charges.

If you have been arrested for a drug-related driving offense of any kind, please call us at 520-624-2494 to discuss your options.