For those with diabetes, getting pulled over on suspicion of driving under the influence is a very real issue. The problem is that a diabetic low can bring about some of the same symptoms as alcohol, including:
— Slight or serious dizziness. — Blurry vision. — Difficulty speaking without slurring words. — Weakness and fatigue. — Overall confusion. — Loss of coordination.
As you can see, all of these things could impact your ability to drive. If your vision is blurry and you feel dizzy, you may drift over the center line. A police officer could then pull you over and find out that you seem confused and that you’re slurring your words. Even if you take field sobriety tests, you may fail them. This could lead to an arrest, even if you’ve had nothing to drink.
This is a serious issue, seeing as how 15 to 20 percent of drivers have diabetes.
Even taking a breath test may not get you out of the charges. A breath test can find multiple substances and think it has found alcohol, including acetone. For those suffering from hyperglycemia, a state called ketoacidosis could occur. In this state, the body naturally produce acetone, which can be detected in your breath. As such, the breath test could come back positive, despite your insistence that you have not had anything to drink.
Have you been pulled over and given charges during a diabetic low in New Jersey? If so, it’s very important for you to know what legal options you have to fight back against those charges.
Source: The Law Offices of Anthony N. Palumbo, “Blood Alcohol Tests,” accessed April 01, 2016
