Pubdate: Sun, 15 Jul 2001
Source: Daily Record and Sunday Mail (UK)
Copyright: 2001 Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.record-mail.co.uk/rm/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/111

ONE IN FOUR DRIVERS FAIL DRUGS TEST

AS many as one in four motorists on Scotland's roads are high on drugs, a 
new police survey has revealed.

A quarter of drivers tested under the Know The Score campaign were under 
the influence of drugs other than alcohol.

The alarming statistics have raised concerns about the number of Scots 
driving under the influence of cannabis, speed and ecstasy.

Drivers were caught by officers trained in a new technique to spot symptoms 
of drug abuse. They breathalysed erratic motorists and, if they hadn't been 
boozing, they were given a test called a Field Impairment Study.

It involves making the suspected drug-drivers walk in a straight line with 
their eyes closed and asking them to balance while standing on one leg.

In just two days, five of the 20 drivers tested by police failed and were 
reckoned to have been under the influence of drugs.

Those suspected of taking drugs were then asked to give a blood sample. The 
results of those tests, which will reveal which substances the drivers had 
taken, are not yet known.

Research published last year found the number of road crash victims in the 
UK who had tested positive for illegal drugs had risen six-fold in the past 
decade.

One in five people killed on British roads now have traces of drugs in 
their system.

The Know The Score tests were carried out by all eight Scots forces.

A police insider said: "There is a feeling that the problem is far more 
widespread than most people think."

Strathclyde Assistant Chief Constable Colin McKerracher said: "Everyone 
must realise the dangers involved."

Earlier this month, the British Medical Association warned of a substantial 
rise in drug-driving incidents.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens