Catching drivers under the influence of drugs is a ‘postcode lottery’ according to a safety group, which urges Government to introduce a new combined drink and drug driving offence, with a lower blood alcohol limit.
Join other savvy professionals just like you at CIHT. We are committed to fulfilling your professional development needs throughout your career
The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety says in a new report that enforcement of drug driving laws varies dramatically across the country, with some police forces convicting 10 times more drug drivers than others.
“While some forces test hundreds of drivers, others are rationing patrols to a single test,” notes PACTS’ executive director David Davies. “A more consistent approach is badly needed, with all forces testing for drug driving where it is suspected.”
The report points out that conducting a drug test is significantly more expensive than conducting a breath test, with a drug test kit costing around £16 compared to a few pence for a new breath tube for a breathalyser.
PACTS claims this means some roads policing officers are equipped with only a single drug test kit when they leave stations and, as a result, ‘officers are less likely to use the wipe unless there is clear evidence of drug use’.
Its call for Government to introduce a new combined drink and drug driving offence is because, it observes, driving under the influence of a combination of drink and drugs – even at relatively low levels – is particularly dangerous. “This is not widely understood and there is no specific offence for drink and drug driving,” added David. “This needs to change.”
PACTS also says that 12,391 people were convicted of a drug driving offence in 2019 and the number is rising fast. It also finds that 44% of drug drive offences are committed by a reoffender. To address the issue it calls for the introduction of a drug drive rehabilitation course and high risk offender scheme.
The report also acknowledges that the impact of drug driving is not fully known, including how many people are killed as a result of drug driving. It calls on the Department for Transport to undertake a review of policy on drug driving – in collaboration with the Department for Health, the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice and the National Police Chiefs’ Council – and to publish robust offence and casualty data on drug driving, as it does for drink driving.
A Department for Transport spokesman said: “We thank PACTS for its report, which we will consider in detail.”
(Photograph: West Midlands Police)
Join other savvy professionals just like you at CIHT. We are committed to fulfilling your professional development needs throughout your career
{{item.AuthorName}} {{item.AuthorName}} says on {{item.DateFormattedString}}: