ONE IN FOUR DRIVERS FAIL DRUGS TEST

AS many as one in four motorists on Scotland's roads are high on drugs, a
new police survey has revealed.

A quarter of drivers tested under the Know The Score campaign were under
the influence of drugs other than alcohol.

The alarming statistics have raised concerns about the number of Scots
driving under the influence of cannabis, speed and ecstasy.

Drivers were caught by officers trained in a new technique to spot symptoms
of drug abuse. They breathalysed erratic motorists and, if they hadn't been
boozing, they were given a test called a Field Impairment Study.

It involves making the suspected drug-drivers walk in a straight line with
their eyes closed and asking them to balance while standing on one leg.

In just two days, five of the 20 drivers tested by police failed and were
reckoned to have been under the influence of drugs.

Those suspected of taking drugs were then asked to give a blood sample. The
results of those tests, which will reveal which substances the drivers had
taken, are not yet known.

Research published last year found the number of road crash victims in the
UK who had tested positive for illegal drugs had risen six-fold in the past
decade.

One in five people killed on British roads now have traces of drugs in
their system.

The Know The Score tests were carried out by all eight Scots forces.

A police insider said: "There is a feeling that the problem is far more
widespread than most people think."

Strathclyde Assistant Chief Constable Colin McKerracher said: "Everyone
must realise the dangers involved."

Earlier this month, the British Medical Association warned of a substantial
rise in drug-driving incidents.