When most people picture a DUI arrest, they picture alcohol — a driver leaving a bar, an open container, a failed breath test. But one of the most talked-about impaired-driving cases of 2026 involved none of that. And that’s exactly why it matters for road safety.

On March 27, 2026, golf legend Tiger Woods was arrested near his home on Jupiter Island, Florida, after his Land Rover struck a truck pulling a pressure-cleaning trailer and rolled onto its side. According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Woods was traveling at a high rate of speed when he tried to pass the slowing truck and clipped the trailer. Neither driver was hurt, and Woods was able to climb out through the passenger side of the overturned SUV.

Here’s the part every driver should pay attention to: Woods took a breathalyzer at the scene and, in the sheriff’s words, “blew triple zeroes” — no alcohol at all. Investigators still believed he was impaired, and said they suspected some form of medication or drug was involved. He was charged with DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test, both misdemeanors. It was his second DUI-related arrest, following a 2017 incident in which prescription medications were involved.

In other words, a clean alcohol test did not mean a safe driver. That single fact is the heart of a safety problem that gets far less attention than drunk driving — and puts just as many people at risk.

Impairment doesn’t require alcohol

Driving under the influence of drugs — legal or illegal, prescription or over-the-counter — is illegal in all 50 states. Yet public awareness lags well behind the reality. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration puts it plainly on its drug-impaired driving page: you can’t drive safely if you’re impaired, and many everyday substances can impair you.

The scale is bigger than most people assume. In NHTSA’s 2013–2014 National Roadside Survey, nearly one in four weekend nighttime drivers tested positive for at least one drug that could affect their ability to drive safely. A large share of those weren’t illicit drugs at all — they were prescriptions people were taking exactly as directed.

That’s the trap. A prescription bottle feels nothing like a six-pack. But your body doesn’t know the difference between “prescribed” and “impairing.”

The medications that can put you at risk

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns that a surprising number of common medicines can make driving dangerous. In its consumer guide, Some Medicines and Driving Don’t Mix, the FDA lists side effects to watch for — drowsiness, dizziness, blurred vision, slowed or uncoordinated movement, trouble focusing, nausea, even fainting.

Categories of medication that can impair driving include:

• Opioid pain relievers and medications containing codeine
• Sleep aids — which can linger and affect you the next morning
• Anti-anxiety medications, sedatives, and tranquilizers
• Muscle relaxants
• Some antidepressants
• Anti-seizure and antipsychotic medications
• Certain blood pressure medications
• Antihistamines in cold and allergy remedies
• Stimulants and diet pills

Two details make this especially sneaky. First, some medicines impair you for hours — sleep aids can affect you well into the next day. Second, a drug that’s harmless on its own can become dangerous when combined with another medication or with even a small amount of alcohol.

How to protect yourself and everyone else on the road

The good news is that medication-impaired driving is entirely preventable. NHTSA and the FDA recommend a few simple habits:

• Read the label. A warning against “operating heavy machinery” includes your car — every time.
• Test new prescriptions at home first. When you start a new medication or increase a dose, don’t drive until you know how it affects your judgment, coordination, and reaction time.
• Ask your doctor or pharmacist directly whether a medication is safe to drive on, and whether it interacts with anything else you take.
• Never mix medications with alcohol before getting behind the wheel.
• Line up a sober ride — a friend, a taxi, or a ride-hailing app — if you’ve taken something impairing.

As NHTSA’s campaign puts it: if you feel different, you drive different.

A DUI is a DUI — even without alcohol

The legal consequences of drug- or medication-impaired driving are just as real as those for drunk driving, and Woods’ case shows how quickly a refusal or a crash can escalate the charges. Because impaired-driving laws differ from state to state, the specifics of how a case unfolds depend heavily on local statutes. Colorado, for example, treats driving under the influence of drugs — including legally prescribed medications — with the same seriousness as an alcohol DUI, and drivers there facing that situation often consult an experienced Denver DUI lawyer to understand how the state’s DUID rules apply to their circumstances.

The takeaway for the rest of us is simpler, and it’s a safety message, not a legal one: the question before you drive isn’t “Have I been drinking?” It’s “Am I impaired?” Those aren’t the same question — and as one of the most famous athletes in the world just learned, the difference can put a vehicle on its side.

If you take medication regularly, take five minutes to check the label and ask your pharmacist about driving. It’s the easiest safety habit you’ll ever build, and it could keep you — and the people sharing the road with you — out of a story like this one.