DRUG TEST DRIVERS TO WALK THE LINE

British drivers suspected of taking drugs will have to take roadside
tests, including walking in a straight line while looking at their
feet, to prove that they are not high on cannabis, cocaine or ecstasy.

The US-style tests were introduced yesterday and are expected to lead
to a 10-fold increase in arrests for driving under the influence of
drugs. Traffic police predict that up to 20,000 motorists will undergo
the tests during the next 12 months before being asked to provide
samples for examination.

Under the first test drivers will be ordered to walk in a straight
line along the road while looking at their feet and counting off a
predetermined number of steps. If they lose count, falter, stumble or
veer off course, they fail. The second test requires drivers to stand
on one leg with their head tilted back, their eyes shut and their
other leg raised above the ground.

They then have to extend their arms and touch their nose with their
index finger three times in a row with each hand.

If they lose their balance, open their eyes or touch the wrong part of
their face, they fail. A third test makes the driver stand with both
feet on the ground and stare straight ahead. The pupils in their eyes
are compared with an indicator board held at the side of their face to
see if they are dilated or constricted. For the fourth test, motorists
must stand with their eyes closed and count off 30 seconds without
speaking.

Richard Brustrom, spokesman on drug-driving for the Association of
Chief Police Officers, said that of those who died on the road, six
times as many now had traces of drugs in their bodies compared with 10
years ago. That accounted for about 700 deaths a year, although they
could not be directly attributable to drugs.

Drivers found guilty of driving under the influence of drugs face
fines of pounds 5,000 plus a driving ban and/or a jail sentence of up
to six months.