Driving under the influence of cocaine is a major traffic safety problem owing to the widespread recreational use of this drug. Oftentimes, cocaine-impaired subjects do not even consider themselves to be dangerous on the road. However, such false senses of security often lead to misjudgment of driving ability and dangerous maneuvers such as:
Excessive speeds
Turning in front of other vehicles
High-risk behavior
Inattentive driving
Poor impulse control
Loss of control of vehicle
As the effects of cocaine wear off (descending limb of intoxication), subjects may suffer from fatigue, depression, sleepiness and inattention.
Although some studies of the effects of low doses of cocaine have shown performance enhancement in attentional abilities (during the ascending limb), more deleterious effects are expected after higher doses, chronic ingestion and during drug withdrawal and include:
Agitation
Inability to focus on divided attention tasks
Inability to follow directions
Confusion
Time distortion
Poor balance and coordination
Increased risk taking
Deleterious effect on vision related to mydriasis
Driving under the influence of cocaine medical expert witness specialties include toxicology, laboratory medicine, emergency medicine, addiction psychiatry, emergency psychiatry, EMT, and biomechanics.