§ Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of state for the Home Department what powers the police have to test drivers for driving under the influence of drugs; how many convictions there have been over the past two years; and what representations he has had urging(a) more testing and (b) higher penalties. [15061]
§ Mr. MacleanSection 4 of the Road Traffic Act 1988—as amended by section 4 of the Road Traffic Act 1991—empowers a constable to arrest a person if he has reasonable cause to suspect that that person has been driving or been in charge of a mechanically propelled vehicle when unfit through drugs. Section 7 of the 1988 Act empowers a constable to require the suspect to provide a specimen for a laboratory test.
Separate statistics for driving offences involving drugs only are not available centrally. I am not aware of any representations urging higher penalties for the offences but I know that the Association of Chief Police Officers is concerned about drugs and road safety and has called for the development of a device to test for drugs in drivers similar to the roadside breathalyser for alcohol. As a first step, research into the extent of drug use by drivers is being commissioned.