MOLLOY SIGNALS MOVE ON DRIVING AND DRUGS

The Minister of State for the Environment, Mr Bobby Molloy, said the
preliminary findings of a drug research programme by the Medical Bureau of
Road Safety (MBRS) underlined growing concern about the influence of drugs
on driving behaviour.

He told delegates the identification of the presence of drugs was more
complex than for alcohol. Internationally, research programmes were being
carried out in this area. To advance research on drugs and driving in
Ireland, his Department had pledged additional funding to the MBRS to carry
out a two-year programme of drug analysis of blood and urine specimens.

He said preliminary findings of the study were made available to him
recently. It was based on blood and urine samples submitted to the MBRS
between July 1st and December 31st, 1999, which were under the legal limit
for alcohol. Yet 37 per cent of these samples tested positive for drugs,
mostly cannabis.

"These early findings underline the Government's view expressed in the Road
Safety Strategy that drugs and driving is an issue of growing concern.
While it is too early to draw definitive conclusions, the research
programme when completed will, along with other international analysis and
research in this area, inform the need for possible changes in testing
methods for the presence of drugs, changes in enforcement practices and
procedures and possibly changes to existing legislation."

Speaking about the driving theory test, Mr Molloy said it would be
introduced by mid2001 as an additional requirement for novice drivers and
would cover in greater depth such areas as knowledge of the rules of the
road, risk perception, hazard awareness and good driving behaviour.

He said the driver theory testing service was being procured on a
public/private partnership basis.