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Did you know?

• It is an offence to drive having over the specified limits of certain drugs in the blood.
• Drivers in England, Wales and Scotland convicted of causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs face a minimum period of disqualification of 5 years and the maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
• 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.

48% 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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