BRITISH POLICE PLAN NEW DRUG TESTS FOR DRIVERS

LONDON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Drivers suspected of taking drugs may soon have
to perform roadside balancing acts to prove they are not under the
influence, the British Association of Chief Police Officers said on Thursday.

The tests will be "phased in over the coming weeks and months," and will
include drivers balancing on one leg with their eyes shut while touching
their nose with the index fingers.

Police will also ask drivers to walk in a straight line with their eyes
closed while counting their steps and to count off an estimated 30 seconds
without speaking, ACPO said.

They will also check drivers' pupils to check they are not dilated -- a
sign of drug use.

"The tests will be on same basis as when people are breathalysed," an ACPO
spokesman said.

"If police have cause to stop someone because of their driving, and the
breathalyser shows they are not over the limit but they are clearly unfit
to drive, police can apply these tests," he added.

If the drivers fail one or more of the physical and mental agility tests,
which can be carried out three times, then they will be taken to a police
station to give a blood or urine sample for analysis.

A question mark remains however over testing for cannabis, which can remain
in the bloodstream for months.

"With cannabis there are some problems," the spokesman said. "If (the
driver) had cannabis three months ago and it is still lingering in the
bloodstream, a judgment has to be made as to whether it is the cause of the
impairment through a medical exam."

The Automobile Association, welcomed the tests saying between 15-18 percent
of drivers killed in accidents had traces of drugs in their bodies, though
this did not necessarily mean their driving was impaired due to drug use.

Robert Lefever, the director of the PROMIS recovery centre which treats
drug addictions, said the tests proposed by the police were "surprisingly
accurate."

"It is an excellent idea. People's judgement can be just as impaired
through cannabis and drugs as through alcohol," he said.