What are police doing about cannabis-using ‘drug drivers’?
That is the question for #AskExaminer after a reader claimed that driving after taking cannabis was commonplace in some quarters, despite a law from March 2015 which made it illegal to drive while over set limits for both illegal and certain legal drugs.
Since then, West Yorkshire Police have been conducting roadside tests for drugs including cannabis and cocaine.
A total of 583 roadside tests have been carried out by the force up to October 2016, with 197 drivers testing positive for cannabis and 41 for cocaine. A total of 20 drivers tested positive for both drugs.
Of those, 125 drivers were later convicted of drug-driving. A number of other cases were ‘pending.’
Several cases have been through the courts in Huddersfield in recent months, including that of a 30-year-old man from Sheepridge who was banned from driving for a year after being found to be almost four times over the cannabis limit.
And in November a Ravensthorpe man was banned for 40 months after taking a cocktail of class A drugs and then driving.
Sgt Gary Roper, of West Yorkshire’s Roads Policing Support Unit, said the legislation had made it easier to target drug-drivers.
Legal limits, he added, were set at “very low levels” for drugs such as cannabis and cocaine while some legally prescribed drugs including diazepam and methadone were also tested for.
“Class A cocaine and class B cannabis have been deliberately chosen as they have been found to be the most prolific drugs used by those drug-driving and can have significant levels of impairment when it comes to people’s ability to drive.
“The force has been continuing to use an approved screening device which means officers can quickly and accurately test for the presence of cannabis and cocaine at the roadside.
"The kit means anyone suspected of driving while under the influence of drugs can be quickly tested with a saliva swab and then arrested if the test proves positive.”
He added: “Illegal drugs, psychoactive substances and medication prescribed by a doctor can significantly impair someone’s ability to drive and put your life as well as those of other road users in significant danger – just like drink-driving.
“The law also identifies limits for types of legal drugs; it’s vital that anyone taking prescribed medication reads the instructions carefully and sticks to the prescribed dosage.
“If you have any concerns regarding the impact any medication may have on your ability to drive, please speak to your doctor before you get behind the wheel.
“A drug-driving conviction will result in a criminal record, a minimum 12 month driving ban, a fine of up to £5,000 and up to six months in prison or both. It’s not worth the risk.”
- Do you have a question for Ask Examiner? email: andrew.robinson@trinitymirror.com
