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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Standard tests will help highlight drug abuse drivers
Luton Today
Saturday 03 Aug 2002 (Picture Caption: Cannabis may no longer be a high profile 'criminal' drug - but it can turn a motorist into a potential killer as surely as alcohol) Breathalyser has helped cut boozers behind the wheel, but drug problem is growing Police in Bedfordshire are taking new steps to try to combat the increasing problem of motorists driving while under the influence of drugs. National figures show that there has been a huge rise in the numbers of people dying after driving with illegal drugs in their systems, with almost one in five deaths laid at the door of drug abuse. In addition, drivers who had taken legally obtained medicinal drugs account for another four per cent of fatalities. The problem in tackling this for the police has been the lack of any standard roadside test to determine whether drugs are the cause of someone's bad driving. Officers have been using the breathalyser to detect alcohol in the driver's body for over 30 years now. But before that, officers had to rely on their own tests - walking in a straight line or reciting tongue twisters to see if someone was unfit to drive through excess drink. Officers from the county force's Casualty Reduction Team have been trained in a new standardised system of how to recognise the symptoms of someone who may be driving while impaired through legal or illegal drugs. Part of the assessments involve going back to the old "roadside impairment" tests to make an initial assessment of the driver's fitness to be behind the wheel. Sgt Tony Richardson and PC Richard Bratton have been busy training other officers in how to do the same. "Drunk drivers still account for around 500 deaths each year. But the difference between the drunken driver and the drug-impaired driver is that the numbers of drunken drivers have continued to fall over the years. On the other hand the numbers of drug drivers are soaring. But the end result is the same tragedy and heartache for innocent people," said PC Richard Bratton. "Our problem is identifying what sort of drug it is and whether it has affected your ability to drive safely. "Almost all drugs and I include caffeine, nicotine, medicines and illegal drugs can be divided into one of seven groups. These groups are determined by the pattern of similar signs and effects they produce upon the person who has taken them. "An example of a sign could be watery and bloodshot eyes usually found with someone who has used cannabis. An example of a symptom could be the physical effects experienced by the user and observed by the officer. The person has probably just been seen driving in an erratic manner if when they are spoken to the officer notices other signs and symptoms, the driver will be asked to do a series of Field Impairment Tests to determine whether they are fit to drive or not. They are simple to carry out if you are unaffected by any substance but become more difficult if you are," said PC Bratton. For further information contact PC Bratton or Sgt Richardson on 01234 842481/842491.
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