The new law sets limits at very low levels for 8 drugs
Brake, the road safety charity, has produced a guidance report, driver advice sheet and high-impact poster aimed at tackling drink and drug driving at work.
The law, which comes into force today (2 March) is being strongly welcomed by Brake, which has been campaigning for it 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 move comes after it was recently revealed by Kwik Fit Insurance Services that nearly half of 1,028 adults surveyed were completely unaware of the new law, and over two thirds of those surveyed believed that not enough was being done to make drivers aware of what the new limits are, what is legal and what legal drugs could still land them in difficulty.
The new law sets limits at very low levels for 8 drugs commonly associated with illegal use such as cannabis and cocaine. Taking away the sensationalism aspect however, there are also 8 prescription drugs that are included within the new law which drivers should be aware of:
- cloanzepam
- diazepam
- flunitrazepam
- lorazepam
- oxazepam
- temazepam
- methadone
- morphine
Brake’s resource pack for employers and road safety professionals includes:
- a guidance report for employers on tackling drink and drug driving the workplace, with expert advice and information on testing policies and raising awareness.
- a driver advice sheet on drug driving, designed to be given to drivers in the workplace to highlight this under-addressed issue.
- a powerful poster, highlighting the case of Lilian Groves, a 14 year old killed outside her home by a speeding driver on cannabis, whose family campaigned alongside Brake for the law (see below).
Free copies of the pack are being given away to the first 25 professionals to fill in the form at brakepro.org/zerotolerancepack.
The extent of the UK’s drug driving problem was revealed by Brake last year, in their survey finding that the equivalent of one million drivers (3%) admitted to having driven on drugs in the past year. It’s estimated that drug driving may account for as many as 200 deaths a year in the UK.
BusyRoly999
( Thursday, March 5, 2015 - 11:14 )
Sadly while a very few may drive better under an influence, most of us have enough difficulty keeping emotions away from driving?
Just imagine, Granny away with the fairies on tranquilizers or Boy Racers whizzing into oblivion on speed, both bad for those hurt, injured and left to pick up the pieces of their wrecked lives?