Drug driving test given the go ahead
 

Lets hope it works .I would hazard a guess that the number of people driving while under the influence of drugs is equally as much as those who drink and drive .

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20913805

Re: Drug driving test given the go ahead
 

Good news - this announcement may act as a deterrent.

Re: Drug driving test given the go ahead
 

To be honest i am surprised it has taken so long to tackle the problem

Re: Drug driving test given the go ahead
 

Indeed, considering how prevalent drugs are now this should have been a high priority. Why do i expect Toonlight to turn up shortly to explain how bad this is in the only way he can :LOL:

Re: Drug driving test given the go ahead
 

give it time ;)

---------- Post added at 18:14 ---------- Previous post was at 18:08 ----------

I suppose some of the problem is, what is the test going to detect?,at the moment it is only cannabis ,eventually they will develop tests for other drugs like heroin and other amphetamine based drugs ,so what about legitimate prescription drugs ?will it be able to distinguish between them and the illegal ones or will it end up with people being carted off to the police station for blood tests to determine what drugs have been taken?

Re: Drug driving test given the go ahead
 

I'd say it was much, much more.

And how much do you want to bet that because there's going to be that many. it will be turned into an on the spot fine offence.

It will all be to do with impairment of the driver who is drug driving. so for a safe bet and for maximum income. they will just charge you money if you want to drive with drugs in your system.

unless they get a really bad one that stands out like he's drunk. they'll have to arrest that one because they don't want to take his money and let him on his way.

the public won't like it.

Re: Drug driving test given the go ahead
 

agreed.

Re: Drug driving test given the go ahead
 

I think you may be right .Supposedly there are thousands of professionals(for example) using cocaine on a daily basis ,they all have get home in their expensive cars .

---------- Post added at 19:28 ---------- Previous post was at 19:25 ----------

wasn't there talk of doing that for suspected drug driving ?

Re: Drug driving test given the go ahead
 

I will have to be careful then when i take my Tramadol :)

Re: Drug driving test given the go ahead
 

Funny enough my wife takes them for her back and i KNOW ;)you can't drive when taking those

Re: Drug driving test given the go ahead
 

I only take them when i get home from work and then only when i really need them, so i should be ok..:)

Re: Drug driving test given the go ahead
 

Depends on how they effect a person when they're in control of a vehicle. I think what most drivers are unaware of, is that the DVLA must be informed if you have a medical condition that could potentially put yourself and others at risk.

ADHD
Bipolar
Diabetes (treated by insulin)

Re: Drug driving test given the go ahead
 

I doubt those thousands of daily users all get in their cars and drive home. Most coke users probably sold their car for a couple of baggies a long time ago. ;)

On a more serious note whilst this is good news the fact remains alcohol causes more accidents and Road deaths than all illegal drugs combined.

http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/fa...-and-accidents

traffic accidents are still a leading cause of alcohol-related deaths among young men aged 16 to 24. In 2010, nearly 10,000 reported road casualties happened when a driver was over the legal alcohol limit representing 5% of all road casualties (2).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20913805

During 2011, at least 640 accidents were caused by drug-drivers using both illegal and medicinal substances.

The Department of Transport statistics - the most recent available - included 49 deaths.

Re: Drug driving test given the go ahead
 

I thought I read years ago that they were going to introduce roadside competency tests, you know, touch your nose, walk along a white line, stand on one leg etc......like they do in the states.

Re: Drug driving test given the go ahead
 

Without more details about how the new test works it is difficult to imagine how useful it will be.

The correlation between alcohol in the breath/blood/urine & driving impairment is fairly linear because alcohol does not persist in the body for very long & the assumption that if it is detected above the legal limits, it is having an effect, is well established.

I don't condone anything that impairs driving competence, but I would like to know how the proposed test has been 'calibrated' for the effects of recent cannabis use & the situation where I understand cannabis 'by-products' are detectable for quite a long time after the effects have actually 'worn off'??

Re: Drug driving test given the go ahead
 

It is that type of scare reporting that annoys the hell out of me. There is no evidence to back up the stated fact that the accidents were caused by a driver with a drug in their system. A more accurate statement would be that legal or illegal drugs were found in the blood of x amount of people who were involved in an accident.

Due to the way these reports NEVER say how many accidents involved people on illegal drugs, it is obvious that a huge portion of the scary number is made up of legal drugs.

Then you have the girl who's parent started off this whole drug testing campaign. She ran out into the middle of a road to get a ball and got hit by a car. Because the guy that hit her had smoked a joint earlier, it automatically became the fault of the drug driver. The kids parents needed someone to blame instead of themselves for letting their kid play out on that busy road.

So anyone who takes any medication and is involved in an accident, even if it is someone driving into you, will become a drug drive statistic in the sense of the quote above.

Driving while not in full control of your car shouldn't be done. This test however will make criminals of people who are no harm to anyone.

Re: Drug driving test given the go ahead
 

The grey area for me is perscription drugs for medication.

Its very grey in whether some drugs effect your driving or your not told. Who to blame in this case doctors, pharmacies or drug companies and lastly US when advice is so poorly writen/given.

I read some in past which have said may effect you driving mechanical vehicles. May is there escape clause, it should be banned wording for legal porposes. Either it does effect you or dont. Maybe before we hit perscription drugs advice should be better.

Effectively only solution any body on prescription drugs for illness may as well stop driving its only safe way.

I all for banning stop those idiots who take recreation drugs but the government needs to get at drug companies to make sure there advice is much more clearer.

This going end well with such poor advice given to those on medication.

Personally there should be build weight grid with advice if X height/build this tablet fine. If your this build/height dont drive.

Other than this then everybody on perscription drugs should get free test now before they get caught or given machine to test themselves.

Some will say you should be noticing you cant drive but you in yourself may feel absolute fine not drowsy.

I have in past took antibiotics which have clear no driving machinery felt fine did not drive though.

Hate this issue for my food problem may contain nuts is my biggest hate.

I have nut allergy either they do job properly clean the lines not mix them or state it has nuts.

---------- Post added at 11:17 ---------- Previous post was at 11:10 ----------

hate it too same with RABS (road accident blackspots) it may not be driver issue for those accidents and therefoe not blackspot at all. But you can guarantee charlottes from council, police road safety campaign slap nice shiny camera there. Then when true blackspot is there ignore it due to lack funds.

We had it here majority get to suffer from **** or idiots who need to learn safe ways crossing roads or stop racing.

Yes agree stats so pushed into generalisation when it comes to want to push through agenda's.