Van Driver Toolkit – Drug Driving
Did you know?
- It is an offence to drive having over the specified limits of certain drugs in the blood.
- The penalty for causing death by dangerous driving under the influence of drugs is a prison sentence of up to 14 years.
- Driving while impaired by drugs is thought to be a major contributor to death and injury on the roads.
Drugs that act on the central nervous system can impair many functions associated with individuals’ abilities to drive safely.
43.6% of fatally injured drivers each year test positive for drugs and over 50% of those are positive for two or more drugs.
Drug driving puts people at a higher risk for road incidents.
The Road Traffic Act 1988 created an offence of driving a motor vehicle while the concentration of any specified drug in the blood is above a limit set for that drug.
Police can stop and request a driver does a ‘field impairment assessment’ if they think the driver is on drugs. They can also use a roadside drug kit to screen for cannabis and cocaine. Even drivers that pass the roadside check can be arrested if the police suspect that your driving is impaired by drugs.
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Driving, or attempting to drive, while over the limit or while under the influence of drugs will result in:
- a minimum 1-year driving ban.
- an unlimited fine.
- up to 6 months in prison.
- a criminal record for a minimum of 20 years.
- an offence which stays on the licence for 11 years.
- possibly loss of vehicle.
Prescribed medication, and over the counter medication such as cold remedies, must be checked with a doctor to ensure it does not contain banned substances causing a driver to be unfit to drive. A conviction for drug driving also means:
- a significant increase in vehicle insurance costs.
- an employer will see the conviction on the driving licence.
- having trouble travelling to countries like the USA.
Provider: Driving for Better Business, National Highways
Resource Type: Web link
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