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UK: Top road cop calls for change in drug law

Alex Eckford

Auto Trader

Thursday 04 Jan 2007

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Britain's top road cop is demanding tougher drug driving laws to improve
road safety.

Chief Constable Meredith Hughes claims the existing law - which punishes
people who drive under the influence of drugs - is too soft.

He is calling for legislation to be extended to ALL drug users found to
have traces of illegal substances in their bodies when driving.

This means police would no longer have to prove a suspect was affected
by the drugs, simply that they were still in their system.

Speaking exclusively to Auto Trader, Chief Constable Hughes - Head of
the UK's Road Policing Unit - said: "It should be an offence to have
illegal drugs in your body and drive a car. I think we know enough about
the effect of drugs to say they do not in any way enhance driving."

"I'm going to fight for a change in the drug-driving law. It requires us
to prove impairment, and while we have new tools and more effective
methods of doing that, it would be better if we cut straight to the chase."

With cannabis detectable in the system for weeks after use, and more
than two million reported users in the UK, this means almost to 1 in 10
motorists would be acting illegally if Mr Hughes' proposals were adopted.

Leading drug charities claim the scheme would be unworkable.

Graham Wynn, director of the TTC Group, the largest provider of drink
and drug driving courses in the UK, said: "It's too broad a brush
approach. I think the comments have been made because of the frustration
at the difficulty of proving driver impairment."

Harry Shapiro, spokesperson for Drugscope, the UK's leading independent
centre of expertise on drugs, said: "It's an inconsistent policy - if
you have a zero tolerance approach to drugs, you should have one to
alcohol."
Read the full Meredith Hughes interview now.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIAL/CARS/FEATURES/33395.html
Do you agree with the Chief Constable's views on drug driving? Email us
at editorial@autotrader.co.uk

 

 

 

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