New Drug-Driving Regulations Come Into Force
From today, there will be a new offence of driving while over the generally prescribed limit of a drug.
New drug-driving regulations come into force today.
A new offence has been created meaning it's now illegal for drivers to get behind the wheel over the prescribed limit of drugs including morphine and methadone.
While limits have also been set for eight illegal drugs such as heroin, coccaine and cannabis.
Casualty Reduction Officer at Humberside Police, PC Barry Gardner, is among those welcoming the move. He told Viking FM:
"At present what we would look at with drugs is impairment, so it's an offence to drive with a drug in your system which causes you an impairment but the new offence states that it is an offence to have certain amounts of a specific drug in your system over the prescribed limit, similar to the drink-drive legislation.
"I've been a field impairment test and drug recognition trainer for seven years and it was on the cards seven years ago. The equipment we are using now has been type approved and to test for the drugs. I do think that this is only the start and in the very near future we will have a lot more abilities to test for a lot more drugs.
"One person in every six who is killed on the road, that's drivers killed on the roads have been found to have illicit drugs in their system and if that's replicated locally then we will have a big problem and I know there are isues locally with drug users."
Police will only need to obtain a blood sample and show that any of the specified drugs are present above the specified limit.
Roadside drugalysers or an impairment test can be used in the first instance to test drivers.
The AA said drivers also need to remember that while the new offence applies to certain, specific drugs, anyone found to be driving while impaired by any drug could still be prosecuted under the law that already exists.
The drug-driving regulations come just ahead of changes to drink-driving regulations that will prevent offenders delaying giving a sample to police.
AA president Edmund King said:
"Drink and drug-drivers pose an unnecessary and selfish risk to all other road users and these increased powers to tackle them are to be welcomed.
"It has taken many years of work to get to the point where we have approved drugalysers for the police to use and new legislation to tackle drug drivers, but if it will help bring down the casualty figures then it will be worth the wait.''