Drug Driving – On Cold Remedies?
One of the most common causes of car accidents (aside from poorly-maintained car tyres!), is drivers driving under the influence of drugs. New laws are going to be introduced next month which will crack down on drug drivers involved in fatal accidents who currently tend to get away with a lighter sentence than drink drivers as it is harder to calculate the amount of drug taken than it is the volume of alcohol. It is anticipated that as well as illegal drugs, the new law will also include legal highs, prescription drugs and maybe even over the counter cold medicine.
With growing concern over abuse of drugs such as painkillers and sleeping tablets which can impair drivers’ coordination and performance, the government is planning to close a series of loopholes governing drug driving. Currently, the law is similar to the law on drink driving before breathalysers were introduced as Police have to prove that the drug is present in the driver’s system and that it impairs their driving. This generally means making them perform a field impairment test which demonstrates their coordination (or lack of it!), and it is not the most conclusive of tests.
A panel of technical experts was established earlier in the year, and their most important task is to determine the levels of drug consumption which cause impairment and set the limit for the different drugs in the same way as there is a limit for alcohol. New roadside drug testing devices will be distributed to the police for use at the time of any incident. Obviously, we should all have been reading the small print on any drugs we take, and avoiding driving if the information advises us to, but once this law is in place, it will be even more important if you don’t want to lose your licence.