Drug Drive Death Trip
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More than one in seven drivers stopped during a police campaign over the summer tested positive for drugs - over double the percentage of those found to have been drinking.*
Today (15) the RAC Foundation is calling for new measures to tackle the menace and asking the Government to launch a controversial consultation into the possibility of setting a drug drive limit.
Unlike alcohol, there is no clear level at which a suspected drug driver can be charged. Instead police have to demonstrate that he or she is unfit to drive by a complicated series of roadside "sobriety" tests followed by evidence obtained by a police surgeon. This can cause problems as drugs such as cannabis can stay in the blood stream for up to four weeks and therefore the presence of cannabis does not always prove that driver is unfit to drive. Drivers involved in accidents are not always capable of undergoing impairment tests and without drug/drive legal limits it can be difficult to prove that the driver was "unfit".
Speaking at the Pan London Road Safety Event today (15) Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation will say:
"We realise that talking about a drug drive limit will be contentious, but it is prompted by a growing body of evidence that drugs and driving is a significant problem especially among young people."
"At the moment, the police have to undertake a lengthy and expensive series of tests to establish whether or not the individual they suspect of having taken drugs is unfit to drive. While these field impairment tests are better than anything we have had previously, setting legal limits on drugs and driving would clarify and simplify the process for police officers as well as sending a message to drivers. That limit may, of course, be zero."
King will also highlight to the conference research which shows the changing habits and attitudes towards drugs and driving:
The Foundation supports DfT on-line, festival and student campaigns but also feels consideration should be given to a national television advertising awareness campaign - similar to those run in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Foundation commends the campaigns of the London Drug Policy Forum but believes that more national advertising could support such campaigns.
In 2003 the Scottish Executive ran a drug driving campaign, which included television advertising. Before the campaign, the Executive had found that:
Post-campaign research showed:
The RAC Foundation wants to see more traffic police, better police training and awareness of drug driving and a rapid development of roadside drugalysers.
More than 90% of motorists are in favour of the police having the powers to carry out roadside testing for drugs and 93% would support a Government funded education campaign.
King will tell the conference delegates:
"It is frightening to think that 14 per cent of 17-25 year old drivers admit to drug driving**, ten per cent of these also consumed alcohol and 90 per cent carried passengers."
"Typical comments from drivers interviewed in our research include things like: "After a smoke you are more relaxed and your reactions are quicker." Others commented that it made driving less daunting. We must change these deluded perceptions."
"Although in law drug driving is just as serious an offence as drink driving, the law does not distinguish between legal and illegal drugs. Nor is there a stated limit, as there is with alcohol. Maybe now is the time to tackle a great taboo and start talking about whether or not we should be continuing with that situation."
Research Material:
The Pan London Road Safety Event is held today (15) at One Great George Street, London at 9.30am. Speakers include representatives from DfT, TfL, the Insurance Industry and the David MacKintosh from the London Drug Policy Forum who will co-present with Edmund King.
*In June 2005, a number of police forces in England and Wales, along with police forces in 12 other European Countries, took part in the TISPOL (Traffic Information Systems Police) European Alcohol and Drug Driving Enforcement campaign.
As a result of the campaign, 10,389 drivers were checked across England and Wales for drink driving, of those 636 drivers tested positive. This figure represented 6.1 per cent of the total number of drivers stopped. In a previous campaign of December 2004, 5.5.% drivers tested positive for drink driving. This campaign also saw 124 drivers checked for drug driving, 16 of those tested positive.
**BRAKE road safety charity research, August 2005.
For research and past releases www.racfoundation.org
The RAC Foundation for Motoring is an independent body established to protect and promote the interests of UK motorists. Motoring organisation RAC supports its seven million customers with breakdown cover and a wide range of other motoring solutions. The views of each organisation should not be attributed to the other.
RAC Web Site & Breakdown Cover
Keywords:
Automotive | Automobiles | Campaign | Car | Cars | Drugs | Government | Motorists | Police | RAC | Road Safety | Safety | Traffic | Vehicles | UK | United Kingdom
Today (15) the RAC Foundation is calling for new measures to tackle the menace and asking the Government to launch a controversial consultation into the possibility of setting a drug drive limit.
Unlike alcohol, there is no clear level at which a suspected drug driver can be charged. Instead police have to demonstrate that he or she is unfit to drive by a complicated series of roadside "sobriety" tests followed by evidence obtained by a police surgeon. This can cause problems as drugs such as cannabis can stay in the blood stream for up to four weeks and therefore the presence of cannabis does not always prove that driver is unfit to drive. Drivers involved in accidents are not always capable of undergoing impairment tests and without drug/drive legal limits it can be difficult to prove that the driver was "unfit".
Speaking at the Pan London Road Safety Event today (15) Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation will say:
"We realise that talking about a drug drive limit will be contentious, but it is prompted by a growing body of evidence that drugs and driving is a significant problem especially among young people."
"At the moment, the police have to undertake a lengthy and expensive series of tests to establish whether or not the individual they suspect of having taken drugs is unfit to drive. While these field impairment tests are better than anything we have had previously, setting legal limits on drugs and driving would clarify and simplify the process for police officers as well as sending a message to drivers. That limit may, of course, be zero."
King will also highlight to the conference research which shows the changing habits and attitudes towards drugs and driving:
- A TRL study (1998) showed that in the previous decade the number of drivers killed and found to have traces of illegal drugs had risen from 3%-18%
- A recent survey of clubbers in Scotland showed that as many as 85% had driven after using illegal drugs
- Drugs are cheaper and more easily available than ever and at least three million adults in the UK are regular users.Young drivers are twice as likely to have been driven by someone high on drugs rather than over the drink limit
- 25% of respondents to a MaxPower survey admitted to taking illegal drugs regularly and then driving
- Only 6% thought their driving suffered after taking drugs
- 18% thought drugs improved their driving
The Foundation supports DfT on-line, festival and student campaigns but also feels consideration should be given to a national television advertising awareness campaign - similar to those run in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Foundation commends the campaigns of the London Drug Policy Forum but believes that more national advertising could support such campaigns.
In 2003 the Scottish Executive ran a drug driving campaign, which included television advertising. Before the campaign, the Executive had found that:
- 12% of young drivers thought that they could not be prosecuted for drug driving
- 23% were unsure whether they could be or not
Post-campaign research showed:
- credibility of the enforcement message needed to be strengthened
- advertising needed to be supported by police enforcement
The RAC Foundation wants to see more traffic police, better police training and awareness of drug driving and a rapid development of roadside drugalysers.
More than 90% of motorists are in favour of the police having the powers to carry out roadside testing for drugs and 93% would support a Government funded education campaign.
King will tell the conference delegates:
"It is frightening to think that 14 per cent of 17-25 year old drivers admit to drug driving**, ten per cent of these also consumed alcohol and 90 per cent carried passengers."
"Typical comments from drivers interviewed in our research include things like: "After a smoke you are more relaxed and your reactions are quicker." Others commented that it made driving less daunting. We must change these deluded perceptions."
"Although in law drug driving is just as serious an offence as drink driving, the law does not distinguish between legal and illegal drugs. Nor is there a stated limit, as there is with alcohol. Maybe now is the time to tackle a great taboo and start talking about whether or not we should be continuing with that situation."
Research Material:
The Pan London Road Safety Event is held today (15) at One Great George Street, London at 9.30am. Speakers include representatives from DfT, TfL, the Insurance Industry and the David MacKintosh from the London Drug Policy Forum who will co-present with Edmund King.
*In June 2005, a number of police forces in England and Wales, along with police forces in 12 other European Countries, took part in the TISPOL (Traffic Information Systems Police) European Alcohol and Drug Driving Enforcement campaign.
As a result of the campaign, 10,389 drivers were checked across England and Wales for drink driving, of those 636 drivers tested positive. This figure represented 6.1 per cent of the total number of drivers stopped. In a previous campaign of December 2004, 5.5.% drivers tested positive for drink driving. This campaign also saw 124 drivers checked for drug driving, 16 of those tested positive.
**BRAKE road safety charity research, August 2005.
For research and past releases www.racfoundation.org
The RAC Foundation for Motoring is an independent body established to protect and promote the interests of UK motorists. Motoring organisation RAC supports its seven million customers with breakdown cover and a wide range of other motoring solutions. The views of each organisation should not be attributed to the other.
RAC Web Site & Breakdown Cover
Keywords:
Automotive | Automobiles | Campaign | Car | Cars | Drugs | Government | Motorists | Police | RAC | Road Safety | Safety | Traffic | Vehicles | UK | United Kingdom
posted by Jon Fry at 5:42:00 PM
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