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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Doctors call for drug-driving tests
Ananova
Tuesday 12 Mar 2002 Doctors' leaders are calling for drug-driving tests. The call comes as figures show spiralling numbers of people dying in road accidents while high on illegal drugs. The British Medical Association says both illegal and legal drugs can affect a driver's ability to drive safely in the same lethal way as alcohol. According to the BMA, the Government must co-ordinate "speedier and more scientific research" to establish effective drug testing devices as soon as possible. It should also raise awareness of the issue with the public and educate them on the impact of drugs on driving ability. Research from the Transport Research Laboratory has found that between 1985 and 1999 the number of people involved in fatal road accidents who tested positive for cannabis increased four-fold from 3% to 12%. The BMA fears that this number will rise given the increasing use of drugs - nearly half of 16-24 years old in England and Wales are reported as having tried cannabis and 39% claimed to have taken hallucinogens. Cannabis is the most frequently detected illicit drug in accident fatalities and is known to impair co-ordination, visual perception, and vigilance. The BMA says that developing an effective device to assess the effects of drugs on driving ability is extremely complex. The BMA's Head of Science and Ethics, Dr Vivienne Nathanson, said: "Whatever action the Government takes on drug driving it is essential that it is accompanied by a public awareness campaign. People generally accept that you shouldn't drink and drive but probably have no idea about the effects of drugs on their driving ability.
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