When people think about impaired driving, we find that they often picture someone who’s had too much to drink. While alcohol is one of the leading causes of impaired driving crashes, it’s far from the only one. Cannabis, prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, and even certain combinations of medications can all affect your ability to drive safely. Polyconsumption (consuming multiple impairing substances at once, like alcohol and cannabis) is a major issue on Colorado roads and 1/3 of Colorado drivers in fatal crashes tests positive for multiple impairing substances.
There are also plenty of myths about where impaired driving laws apply. Many people assume they’re only a concern if you’re driving a car, but impairment can put you and others at risk whether you’re behind the wheel of a car, operating a boat, riding an ATV, or using another motorized vehicle.
No DUI NoCo is here to separate fact from fiction.
Myth #1: “I drive just as well after only two or three drinks.”
Reality: Alcohol begins affecting your driving long before you feel “drunk.”
Even small amounts of alcohol can reduce your reaction time, coordination, judgment, and ability to make quick decisions. Many people feel confident after drinking because alcohol lowers inhibitions – but that confidence doesn’t reflect their actual driving ability.
You don’t have to feel intoxicated for alcohol to impair your driving. In fact, last year we shared the story of a person from NoCo who came to speak with our team about their experience being charged with a DUI after failing a road sobriety test after one drink.
Myth #2: “Coffee, food, or a cold shower will sober me up.”
Reality: Only time lowers your blood alcohol concentration (BAC).
Coffee may make you feel more awake. A meal may slow the absorption of alcohol if eaten beforehand. A cold shower might help you feel refreshed. But none of these reduce the amount of alcohol in your bloodstream.
The only thing that sobers you up is giving your body enough time to process the alcohol.
Myth #3: “Cannabis is safer than alcohol when it comes to driving.”
Reality: Cannabis affects driving differently than alcohol – but it still causes impairment.
Cannabis can slow reaction time, reduce coordination, impair judgment, and make it more difficult to respond to changing road conditions. Some users believe they become more cautious drivers after using cannabis, but research shows that impairment still increases crash risk.
One of the most common impairment effects of cannabis is altered perception of time. In studies, people often estimate 30 seconds to be 1 to 1.5 minutes after consuming cannabis.
This explains why cannabis-impaired drivers often drive very slowly and react slowly to obstacles on the road and are more likely to be involved in rear-end collisions when they fail to realize soon enough that traffic has stopped.
If you’re high, don’t drive.
Myth #4: “Cannabis is legal in Colorado, so it’s okay to drive after using it.”
Reality: Legal doesn’t mean safe – or legal behind the wheel.
Colorado law prohibits driving while impaired by cannabis, just as it does alcohol or other drugs. The fact that cannabis is legal for adults doesn’t change the fact that impaired driving is dangerous and can result in a DUI or DWAI.
Myth #5: “If a doctor prescribed it, I can’t be convicted of a DUI.”
Reality: Many prescription medications can make driving unsafe.
Prescription medications can cause:
- Drowsiness
- Slower reaction times
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness
- Difficulty concentrating
Pain medications, muscle relaxers, sleep aids, and some anti-anxiety medications are just a few examples. Even when taken exactly as prescribed, these medications may make it unsafe to drive.
Under Colorado law, you may be arrested for a DUI if you operate a motor vehicle while impaired by any substance “to the slightest degree.” Always read warning labels and ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist whether your medication can affect your ability to operate a vehicle.
Myth #6: “Over-the-counter medicine is harmless.”
Reality: Everyday medications can still impair driving.
Many allergy medications, cold medicines, cough syrups, and nighttime sleep aids can cause drowsiness or slower reaction times.
If a medication warns against operating heavy machinery, that warning includes driving.
As with prescription medications, you can be convicted of a DUI in Colorado if you are impaired “to the slightest degree” by over-the-counter medications. Don’t assume that because you bought it without a prescription, it’s safe to take before getting behind the wheel.
Myth #7: “If it’s not a car, impaired driving laws don’t apply.”
Reality: Impairment is dangerous and illegal no matter what you’re operating.
Cars aren’t the only vehicles that require good judgment and quick reaction times. Depending on the situation and local laws, operating any of the following while impaired can be dangerous, and in many cases, illegal:
- Boats and personal watercraft
- ATVs and side-by-sides
- Motorcycles
- Golf carts
- Snowmobiles
- Electric scooters (e-scooters) and e-bikes
- Mopeds and other motorized vehicles
The safest rule is simple: if you’re impaired, don’t operate any vehicle.
Myth #8: “I’m just riding my bike.”
Reality: Impairment can still put bicyclists and others at risk.
While Colorado’s DUI laws generally apply to motor vehicles, not bicycles (e-bikes are different) riding a bicycle while impaired is still dangerous and can have serious consequences.
Alcohol and drugs can affect your balance, coordination, reaction time, and decision-making, making it much more difficult to ride safely. An impaired bicyclist is at greater risk of crashing, suffering serious injuries, or causing harm to others.
A 2012 study by the Governors Highway Safety Association found that 28% of fatally injured bicyclists had blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) above the legal limit of .08. Colorado bicycle fatalities rose 29% from 2024 to 2025.
Myth #9: “I’m only going a few minutes away.”
Reality: A short trip isn’t a safer trip.
NoCo law enforcement officers who meet with our team report over and over again that drivers convicted of DUIs offer this excuse when they are pulled over. Many crashes occur close to home because that’s where people do most of their driving. A quick trip to a friend’s house, the store, or a nearby restaurant still includes intersections, pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles.
The length of your drive doesn’t reduce the effects of impairment.
Myth #10: “I know my limits.”
Reality: One of the effects of impairment is poor judgment.
Alcohol and drugs affect the very part of your brain responsible for making good decisions. That means people who are impaired often believe they’re capable of driving, even when they’re not.
Trusting your own judgment after drinking or using drugs isn’t a reliable safety plan.
Myth #11: “A DUI only affects me.”
Reality: The consequences can last for years and impact many lives.
A first-time DUI in Colorado costs an average of more than $13,500 when legal fees, fines, insurance increases, education programs, and other expenses are combined. Impaired driving crashes cost the United States approximately $58 billion each year.
Beyond the financial cost, a DUI can affect employment, education, housing opportunities, and professional licenses.
Most importantly, impaired driving puts passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and other drivers at risk. One poor decision can change countless lives forever – read about the ripple effect here.
The Bottom Line
Impairment isn’t limited to alcohol, and it isn’t limited to cars.
Whether you’ve been drinking, using cannabis, taking prescription medication, using an over-the-counter cold medicine, or combining substances, your ability to safely operate a vehicle may be affected. And whether you’re driving a car, boating on the lake, riding an ATV, or using an e-scooter, the risks are real.
The safest choice is always the same:
If you’re impaired, don’t drive or operate any vehicle.
Every impaired driving crash is preventable. By replacing myths with facts and making responsible choices, we can all help create safer roads, waterways, and communities throughout Northern Colorado.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What substances can cause impaired driving?
Impaired driving is not limited to alcohol. Alcohol, cannabis, prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, and combinations of multiple substances can all affect your ability to drive safely. Impairment can impact your reaction time, coordination, judgment, vision, and ability to make quick decisions. Even if a substance is legal or prescribed by a doctor, it may still make it unsafe to operate a vehicle. - How does cannabis impairment affect driving?
Cannabis can impair important driving skills, including reaction time, coordination, attention, and decision-making. It can also alter your perception of time, making it harder to accurately judge how quickly situations are changing on the road. While cannabis affects people differently than alcohol, it can still increase crash risk. If you use cannabis, the safest choice is to avoid driving until you are no longer impaired. - Can you get a DUI for driving after taking prescription or over-the-counter medication?
Yes. In Colorado, you can be charged with DUI or DWAI if you operate a vehicle while impaired by any substance, including prescription or over-the-counter medications. Medications such as sleep aids, muscle relaxers, pain medications, allergy medicines, and cold medicines may cause drowsiness, dizziness, slowed reaction times, or difficulty concentrating. Always read medication warnings and talk with your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you are unsure how a medication may affect your ability to drive. - Do impaired driving laws apply to boats, ATVs, e-scooters, and other vehicles?
Impairment can be dangerous when operating many different types of vehicles, not just cars. Depending on the vehicle and circumstances, impaired operation of boats, personal watercraft, ATVs, motorcycles, snowmobiles, golf carts, and other motorized vehicles may result in legal consequences. Regardless of what you’re operating, alcohol and drugs can reduce your ability to safely respond to hazards. - Why is combining alcohol and other drugs especially dangerous?
Using multiple impairing substances at the same time, known as polyconsumption, can create greater impairment than using one substance alone. Alcohol combined with cannabis, prescription medications, or other drugs can multiply effects on judgment, coordination, and reaction time. In Colorado, about one-third of drivers killed in fatal crashes test positive for multiple impairing substances, showing how significant polyconsumption is on our roads. The safest choice is to avoid driving whenever you have used any impairing substance.
