Some people have made the argument that taking Ambien isn't any different than getting so intoxicated that you didn't know that you were driving. Well this is a ridiculous arguement because of the intention prior to the act of driving.
If you go to a bar or tavern and begin to drink alcohol, you then of course at some point have the choice to quit drinking. If you continue to drink, your intention is clear, you want to become extremely intoxicated. If you become so intoxicated that you don't know what your actions are, then that is your own fault, the choice was yours and becoming extremely intoxicated was your intent. If you only become semi-intoxicated and then you choose to drive home from the tavern, you consciously made that choice, you were given the choice to drive or not to drive. Your intent was clear, you chose to drive while inebriated.
On the other hand, taking Ambien is much different than alcohol. When you take Ambien, your intention is to go to sleep. You get into your pajamas, take your Ambien and then get into bed. The sleep-driving happens long after you've gone to sleep. And your intention is clear, you wanted to go to sleep. You never intended to go sleep-driving while in a zombie state. The F.D.A. and Sanofi-Aventis have now made this very clear in their warnings. The intention of drunk-driving and the intention of sleep-driving while on Ambien are obviously very different.
As for taking Ambien and then sleep-driving. Who in their right mind would ever assume that their trusted doctor would give them a medication that would make them sleep-drive of all things? Although, most of the doctors didn't even know that people were having such adverse reactions. The F.D.A. forced Sanofi-Aventis to strengthen their warnings in March of 2007. And then in February 2008, the F.D.A. forced Sanofi-Aventis to use even stronger warnings than before. Prior to these warnings, how would anyone have any clue whatsoever about not using Ambien because of sleep-drving?
** Note: Ambien and Alcohol should never be taken together.