IN THE NEWS

By Shelley Jofre BBC Scotland reporter

The RAC Foundation has told BBC Radio Scotland's The Investigation programme that roadside drug testing equipment is already being used in Australia and - if introduced in the UK - could save about 200 lives a year.

A recent study funded by the Scottish Executive estimated that one in 10 drivers in Scotland drive under the influence of illegal drugs. There are concerns that not enough is being done to tackle the problem.

The RAC says that a drugs tester could save 200 lives a year

Shelia Rainger from the RAC Foundation believes that the Home Office is delaying the introduction of a drugalyser.

She says: "We suspect part of the problem here is that there is a reluctance to talk about drug driving because it implies somehow that taking drugs might be okay providing that you are not going to get behind the wheel.

"We think this is nonsense and people are dying because of the reluctance of people to talk about this openly. It is a taboo that needs to be broken."

The Investigation has learned from the Home Office that tests on drugalysers are still at an early stage. They say it'll be at least two more years before traffic police in the UK are issued with them.

On a recent Friday night in Glasgow, I interviewed a straw poll of drivers.

A lot of the young people who take drugs and drive do not see it as the same issue as drink driving, but it is just as bad Chief Inspector Paul Fleming

Many admitted to drug driving with one motorist saying: "Yes I drug drive all the time after smoking dope. It is 100% safe, but to be fair I only go on the motorway."

When asked if he drove after drinking alcohol, he said: "I drink and I have never got behind the wheel of a car because I know a pint in itself will have a lot more effect on me than a joint will."

Another clubber out in Glasgow said: "A lot more people are a lot more conscious of jumping in a car if they have had a couple of drinks than if they have had a couple of joints."

Professor Neil McKeganey, from the Centre for Drugs Misuse Research at Glasgow University, told The Investigation that his research revealed that many drug drivers do not think they will get caught.

Let drivers go

He added: "Drug drivers are undoubtedly getting away with it. People felt there was a small likelihood of getting discovered and even if they were stopped they did not think there was a strong likelihood of the police spotting they had used illegal drugs or having the technology readily to hand to determine whether that is the case."

This was backed up by drug drivers interviewed for the programme who confirmed that they did not think they had a high chance of ever being caught by the police.

I discovered that the police are also becoming increasingly frustrated with current roadside field impairment tests which involve tasks like touching your nose and walking in a straight line to assess whether a driver is impaired by drugs.

While out on patrol with Strathclyde road police, I learned that officers have no option to let drivers go if they pass field impairment tests - even if they strongly suspect the driving of having taken drugs.

Many people do not believe taking drugs and driving is as bad as drink driving

Chief Inspector Paul Fleming, the head of road policing specialist services at Strathclyde Police, believes that the fact that drug driving is not seen as socially unacceptable does not help the situation.

He said: "A lot of the young people who take drugs and drive do not see it as the same issue as drink driving, but it is just as bad."

Chief Inspector Fleming says the police would welcome a zero tolerance approach to drug driving.

The RAC points out that in Germany and Belgium it is an offence to drive after taking any amount of illegal drugs.

However, in order for zero tolerance to come into practice here, the police first need to have a drugalyser to test people for drugs on the roadside.