DRUG DRIVING EPIDEMIC
Police trapping record numbers as over half of drivers fail roadside tests
‘These figures are worrying’ ‘Totally irresponsible’
Police are catching a record 36 drug drivers a day as they try to stop the growing menace on our roads. More than half of drivers pulled over by police on suspicion of being high on drugs are failing roadside tests. in a month-long crackdown, officers pulled over and drug-tested more than 2,000 motorists. in total, 54 per cent – equivalent to almost 1,100 drivers, or 36 a day – had positive readings for banned substances such as cannabis and cocaine.
Police caught 16 times as many people in this year’s crackdown than in a similar operation in 2014, when the figure was just 66. The figures, from the National Police chiefs’ council, come from police forces across england and Wales.
Almost 5,000 motorists on drugs have been caught since the introduction of ‘drugalyser’ testing kits two years ago. But campaigners believe the true numbers getting behind the wheel when intoxicated is far greater, as the number of drivers being stopped by police has actually fallen following staff cuts. The Police Federation for england and Wales yesterday called for urgent action to reverse the cuts, saying ‘ positive drug screening tests have increased at an alarming rate’.
Today’s figures show that 1,084 out of 2,022 drivers stopped and tested for drugs during a summer blitz in June recorded positive readings.
in 243 cases, the driver had been involved in a collision when they were tested, with 48 found to be under the influence of a banned substance. in the same period last year, only 39 per cent of 2,588 drivers tested positive for drugs.
The rate of positive test results for drugs is far greater than that for drink-driving, with just 10 per cent of motorists who took roadside alcohol breath tests during the police crackdown found to be over the limit.
Jayne Willetts, of the Police Federation of england and Wales, said: ‘These figures are worrying. it not only shows that the number of drivers being stopped has fallen but positive drug screening tests have increased at an alarming rate.
‘To keep members of the public safe we need to have road policing officers targeting the “fatal four”, which includes drink and drug driving. However, numbers of dedicated roads policing officers have almost halved since 2000, with just under 4,000 now working across england and Wales.’
Drug driving is responsible for about 320 deaths and serious injuries on the roads every year, with tests by the Department of Transport revealing that one in six drivers killed in road accidents had taken illegal drugs.
Yet the response by forces to drug driving remains patchy. last month a BBc investigation found that some forces were making thousands of arrests for drug driving, while in other areas fewer than 100 offenders had been caught since 2015.
Zoe Billingham, from Her Majesty’s inspectorate of constabulary, said: ‘Some forces appear to be proactive in enforcing the drug driving laws, while others are not. HMic has found similar worrying inconsisten- cies in other areas of policing that we have formally inspected.
‘Recognising the vast range of demands on police time, chief constables should look closely at this data and decide whether this important issue of road safety is being prioritised appropriately.’
The huge surge in the number of drivers being caught follows the introduction of testing kits similar to breathalysers.
The ‘drugalyser’ devices, described as being as simple as a pregnancy kit, use a saliva swab to allow police to identify substances within minutes. The kits can detect up to 17 illegal drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy, as well as prescription drugs typically used for insomnia or anxiety that have been taken above prescribed doses.
They were introduced in March 2015 in the wake of tough new legislation to tackle the menace of drug driving, which until then had not been punishable under a specific offence. Under the old system, motorists had their eyes examined for signs of dilation and were ordered to walk in a straight line and balance on one leg with their eyes closed.
officers then had to summon a doctor to conduct blood tests at a police station, by which time the drugs could have left the driver’s system. cocaine and cannabis – the most commonly used drugs – can now be detected within ten minutes.
However, police chiefs have complained at the £18 cost of roadside tests, with a further £350 for blood analysis to bring the case to court. A breath test costs just 18p.
Motorists convicted of drug driving face a minimum of a year’s ban, an unlimited fine and up to six months in prison, although the majority are handed a short ban and a fine.
Jason Wakeford, director of campaigns for road safety charity Brake, said: ‘Driving under the influence of drink or drugs is dangerous and totally irresponsible.
‘These alarming figures show how drug driving is a growing menace but how effective – and efficient – targeted enforcement by the police can
be. It also illustrates why the Government has to make traffic policing a national priority, giving the police more resources to deal with drug driving throughout the year.
‘Those who drive in the UK under the influence of drugs have to get the message that they will be caught and face tough penalties.’
Amy Aeron-Thomas, of RoadPeace, said: ‘It’s amazing that you have a fatal collision on a weekend and no one tests the driver for drugs. We have called for a statutory requirement for police to test every driver involved in a collision to test for impairment through drink or drugs.’ A spokesman for the National Police Chiefs Council said: ‘We acknowledge that there are fewer specialist roads officers than in recent years, which has an impact on forces’ ability to conduct more tests across the board, but it is also part of our strategy for forces to target local hotspots and utilise knowledge of the areas to better target offenders, which is helping to increase the proportion of stops that result in a positive reading.’