Drugalyser

The Home Office has produced the specification for a new poilice-station based drug screening device to test drivers suspected of drug driving, pushing it higher up the practical delivery date list. The drugalyser testing kits, capable of identifying substances such as amphetamines, cannabis and ecstasy, will be available for police to use by July.

In addition to this new station based tester police will have new roadside testing devices ready to use by 2012.

These devices will enable screening of suspects at police stations, removing the need to call out a doctor. If the screening is positive, a blood sample will be taken straight away for evidential testing. This should reduce the waiting time before evidential samples are taken, helping to ensure that any drug levels are recorded before they dissipate.

Currently, there is no law against driving under the influence of illegal drugs. Prosecutors have to prove that the presence of the drug had impaired the motorist.

Drivers Escaping Reality

Between 14% and 17% of drivers killed or injured in road crashes have drugs in their system. This is according to a new report from the International Transport Forum: a transport think tank at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The report is based on roadside tests, surveys and questionnaires from 16 countries. It highlights some worrying facts and shows that cannabis and benzodiazepines top the list of drugs involved in lethal motor accidents.

Jack Short, secretary of the International Transport Forum, said ‘both illicit substances and prescribed medicines are involved. Current drink-driving measures and legislation do not take this into account.’

The forum says the drug-driving issue is moving up the policy agenda in many countries, and a major European Union funded research project called DRUID (Driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol and medicines) is already in progress across Europe.

Older Drivers Are Safer

The latest analysis of the official road casualty figures by the IAM reveals that the greatest risk to pedestrians is car drivers under the age of 30 who are involved in more than a third of pedestrian fatalities. Whilst there have been big reductions in fatalities within our two most vulnerable age groups over recent years – 33% in the 16-19 year age bracket, 25% for drivers in their 70’s and 22 % for drivers aged 80 or over since 2008 – 16-19 year olds continue to be the highest casualties by a long way. The other side of the equation shows that the greatest risk to the oldest group on the road is as a pedestrian – pedestrian risk increases from 2% of those injured aged between 20 and 50, to around 9% aged 80 and over – in particular from young drivers.

Increasing age and experience behind the wheel makes a rapid difference. During their teens and twenties the risk of young drivers being killed halves every five years as they gain more driving experience.

This has led some in the industry to call for post-test training to be made compulsory such as it is in countries such as Austria, where reductions of up to 30% in young male fatalities have been achieved. If new drivers can be kept alive during this most dangerous stage of their driving career, the risk of them becoming another killed or seriously injured statistic reduces significantly.

Despite widespread beliefs to the contrary, older drivers are no more likely to be involved in an injury crash than middle aged drivers, and are much less at risk than drivers aged under 30.