ROADSIDE DRUGS TESTS ON THE WAY

LONDON (Reuters) - Police will be able to test drivers for drugs at the
roadside if Parliament passes a bill as expected later this week, the
Transport Department says.

The Railway and Transport Safety Bill would give police the power to test a
driver for substances from "soft" drugs like cannabis to opiates such as
heroin if they suspect the motorist of having taken any, a transport
department spokesman said on Wednesday.

Police would have kits that can test for drugs using a sample of the
driver's saliva or sweat. Currently, police can check a driver's alcohol
level but motorists have the right to refuse a drug test.

"It will give the police powers to ensure that any drivers suspected of
being under the influence of drugs are tested," Transport Department
spokesman Ben Herbert said.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) said it welcomed the bill.

"It (drug driving) is an area in which police forces have been asking for
enhanced powers," said Andy Hayman, chairman of ACPO's Drugs Working Group
and Chief Constable of Norfolk Constabulary.

The Department said it did not have any estimates on the number of deaths
caused by "drug driving" but it hoped police could begin using the tests by
the end of the year if the bill was passed.