CALL FOR LAWS TO TACKLE DRUGGED DRIVERS

The gardai’s Christmas blitz on drink drivers will miss hundreds of
motorists under the influence of illegal drugs, like cannabis and
cocaine, requiring an immediate change in the law according to Fine
Gael’s Michael Noonan.

Deputy Noonan said the use of illegal drugs is now so widespread in
Ireland that legislation is required immediately to impose severe
penalties on those who drive while incapacitated as a result of using
illegal drugs.

“Cocaine and heroin is in widespread use in Dublin, and in Cork to a
lesser extent, while so called soft drugs are available and being
abused in almost every rural village in Ireland.

“This is a road safety issue and the time has come to make sure these
people can be prosecuted and taken off our roads,” he said.

The Garda Press Office said there are were no recorded incidents of
drivers being convicted of driving while under the influences of drugs
in the last year. However, he said several drivers, suspected of being
under the influence of drugs, have been convicted under Section 49 (1)
of the Road Traffic Act 1961 which was designed for drink driving offences.

Unlike alcohol where there is a set limit on the amount a driver can
have in blood or urine, there are no limits set for illegal drugs. It
is an offence to drive if one is in deemed to be incapacitated as the
result of an intoxicant.

However, a spokesman for the Department of the Environment said the
Medical Bureau of Road Safety is to carry out a two year pilot study
on drug analysis of blood and urine specimens.

Deputy Noonan says two years is too long to wait and wants legislation
introduced as quickly as possible to prevent accidents on the roads
from the growing use of illegal drugs.

The director of the Medical Bureau of Road, Safety, Professor Denis A
Cusack said he anticipates 2,000 samples of blood and urine will best
tested for illegal and legal drugs over the two years of the pilot
scheme.

He said Ireland, like other European countries, is just beginning to
come to grips with the problem of drink driving but he said that
already German, Belgium and Sweden have introduced a zero tolerance
policy on drug driving.

It is expected that samples of blood and urine from almost 9,000
suspected drink drivers will be processed by the bureau this year. A
massive 92% of drivers tested are found to be over the legal limit.

Prof Cusack says they expect a quarter of the 8% not over the alcohol
limit will be found to have abused drugs.

Samples found not to be positive for alcohol will now be tested by the
Medical Bureau of Road Safety along with specimens for drug analysis.