Police forces have carried out more than 2,000 roadside drug tests since new laws were introduced in March, and drivers have failed 53 per cent of them, according to exclusive Auto Express figures.
A total of 2,038 tests have been conducted, with 1,080 coming back positive. Cannabis was the most common substance detected (854), while 150 drivers were caught on cocaine. Sixty-six drivers had a mix of both.
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Yet not all forces are using the new legislation brought in six months ago in England and Wales. Half of them couldn’t provide results as part of our Freedom of Information request, as they’re either not using the new drugalyser or not digitally storing data. The Home Office confirmed to Auto Express that drug-driving figures aren’t collected centrally, so there’s no Government guidance on storage.
Of those using the new legislation, the Metropolitan Police topped the list with 456 tests in the first six months – an average of more than two per day. It had one of the lowest success rates, though, with 45 per cent failing. Nationally, June was the most successful month. Officers carried out 430 tests, of which drivers failed 58 per cent.
Chief constable Suzette Davenport, the lead on roads policing for the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said: “Under the new legislation, officers have improved tools to better detect those who drive while impaired by drugs. While these latest figures are encouraging, there is still work to be done.”
The legislation also includes heroin, LSD and ecstasy, plus prescription medication like diazepam and temazepam. The penalty for driving under the influence of drugs is a criminal record, a driving ban for at least a year and a fine of up to £5,000.
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An AA spokesman said: “Drug-driving is the ‘hidden killer’ among road casualties. Advances in legislation and detection have made prosecutions more likely, yet it’s still early days in pulling together a system of enforcement. It took many years for drink-driving enforcement to hit its full potential, and the fight against drug-driving will also take time.
“The difference is drink-driving was a battle to convince the majority of the public that it was an anti-social evil. Drug-driving is much further down the road of public rejection, although its prevalence is not widely appreciated.”
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