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PRO INSTALLER MARCH 2015
PRO MOTORING
@proinstaller1
Drug driving zero-tolerance
law comes in to force
A new law against drug driving coming into force this month has been strongly welcomed by road
safety charity Brake, which has been campaigning for the law alongside families bereaved by drug
driving. The law will make it a criminal offence to drive with drugs in your body in England and Wales,
removing the need to prove impairment and making it much easier to prosecute drug drivers.
The new law has specified
zero-tolerance limits for a
range of illegal drugs, and
will be enforced with the
aid of roadside screening
devices. Those found guilty
will face a maximum six
month jail sentence, £5,000
fine, and automatic 12
month driving ban.
The extent of the UK’s drug
driving problem was revealed by
Brake and Direct Line last year,
in their survey finding that the
equivalent of one million drivers
(3%) admitted to having driven
on drugs in the past year. One
in nine (11%) said they thought
they had been a passenger with
a driver on drugs, a survey by
Brake and Direct Line found
last year. It’s estimated that drug
driving may account for as many
as 200 deaths a year in the UK,
according to the Department for
Transport in 2013.
As well as tackling drivers on
illegal drugs, the law clarifies
the position for drivers using
medication, with set limits for
a number of prescribed drugs
that can affect driving. Drivers
taking medication in accordance
with the advice of a healthcare
professional will not be at risk of
arrest.
Brake is reminding drivers that
some prescription and over-thecounter medications can make
you unsafe on the road, and is
urging them to always read the
label, or check with their doctor
or pharmacist if unsure, and never
to drive if their driving may be
impaired. A Brake survey in June
last year found one in six drivers
(17%) either ignore warnings not
to drive or do not check at all.
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