The horrific death toll of drug-driving in Scotland
As many drivers killed with cannabis in their system as alcohol Campaigners outraged Scotland has no drug limit for motorists
THE Sunday Herald can today reveal the shocking scale of drug-driving in Scotland. New figures reveal the same number of drivers have died on our roads after taking cannabis as those who died after drinking. The new analysis, based on toxicology reports from driver and motorcyclists killed in road accidents across Scotland over three years, found one in five cases tested positive for alcohol consumption. The same number tested positive for cannabis – with one in five fatalities linked to the drug.
Remarkably, despite the scale of the problem, Scotland has so far failed to introduce drug-driving limits. As part of our investigations, the Sunday Herald is today backing campaigners who want the Scottish Government to launch a crackdown and urgently follow the lead of England and Wales, which introduced legal driving limits for drugs – in a similar way to alcohol – as well as roadside “drugalyser” tests two years ago.
The research is the first detailed study looking at the involvement of drugs in fatal motor vehicle collisions in nearly 20 years in Scotland. Out of 118 cases of driver and motorcyclist fatalities examined between 2012 and 2015, a total of 24 (20 per cent) tested positive for alcohol and 24 (20 per cent) tested positive for cannabis.
Lead study author Dr Hilary Hamnett, a lecturer and forensic toxicologist at the University of Glasgow, said alcohol and cannabis seemed to be equally problematic.
She said: “It is concerning. Policy makers will compare themselves to other places and say we are doing better, but there are some Scandinavian countries, for example, that have this really well under control and they have very low levels of drug use in their deceased drivers.”
The data the study was based on does not include specific details of each accident, but nearly all – 88 per cent – of the drivers and motorcyclists were male and the ages of all victims ranged from 17 to 86. A total of 67-57 per cent of the cases – tested positive for alcohol or all types of drugs, not just cannabis.
The second most common type of drugs detected after cannabis were opioids – ranging from heroin to prescription painkillers such as codeine — found in 14 per cent of cases; followed by benzodiazepines such as Valium at 12 per cent; prescription medicines such as antidepressants at 10 per cent; and over the counter medications at eight per cent. Heroin was only found in one driver.
Hamnett cautioned it was not possible to tell from the research what effect drugs or alcohol might have had on the cause of these fatal accidents, which could been influenced by factors such as the weather or actions of other drivers.
The study, published in the journal Forensic Science International, shows there was a sharp rise over the years in the number of fatalities who had taken drugs alone without any alcohol. In 2013, there were 11 such cases – or 38 per cent of the total fatalities for that year. By 2015, there were 21 cases or 47 per cent of the deaths.
Hamnett said she was carrying out further research to see if there had been any impact following the cutting of the alcohol drink-driving limit in Scotland in December 2014.
She added: “Some people are always going to carry on drinking no matter what you set the limit at – but I am interested in whether some people are drinking less or are they moving on to drugs.”
Neil Greig, director of policy and research at road safety charity IAM Roadsmart, said it was an “important study”. He said: “We don’t have the same drug-driving laws as they have down south, where they have been catching thousands and thousands of drivers and it has been heralded as a great success.
“It seems odd that in England and Wales this very successful road safety legislation is working well and yet we are still waiting for the Scottish Government to make a decision.”
Across the UK, it is an offence to drive “impaired by drugs”. In Scotland, police use the ‘field impairment test’ at the roadside for anyone suspected of driving under the influence of drugs, which involves a series of co-ordination tests such as walking in a straight line and standing on one leg. If the motorists fails they are taken to the police station for further tests, and prosecutors then have to prove a person’s driving was “impaired” by drugs to secure a conviction.
Figures show there were 203 convictions for driving under the influence of drink or drugs in 2014-15 in Scotland – with separate figures for drug driving not available.