§ Mr. TimmsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to test drivers suspected of being under the influence of illegal drugs. [30155]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonUnder existing legislation the police have powers to arrest a driver whom they suspect of being impaired through drugs, and to require the provision of a specimen for testing. We have at present no plans to extend those powers.
We announced on 11 February a forthcoming roadside trial of drug screening devices by the police. Its purpose is to establish whether the devices are sufficiently robust and practical for conditions likely to be encountered at the roadside, and not to test for the presence of drugs or to assess the accuracy of the devices. Drivers will be asked to volunteer to participate in the trial but those who are obviously impaired through alcohol or drugs will not be asked to volunteer, and will be dealt with by the police using their existing powers.
§ Mr. TimmsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the extent to which illegal drug use is a contributory factor to road accidents. [30154]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe Department is currently conducting a study into the incidence of drugs in road accident fatalities. While this is a useful step towards understanding the nature and scale of the problem the findings do not indicate whether drugs were a contributory factor in the accidents concerned. It is very difficult to obtain precise data. A number of institutions world wide are considering the problem and the Department is carefully monitoring evidence in this area.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which medicinal drugs were detected in the Government's recent study of drug driving; and what percentage of medicinal drugs which can impair drivers' reactions could not be traced by the test used. [29844]
§ Ms Glenda Jackson[[holding answer 17 February 1998]The Department's recent study tested for three of the major groups of medicinal drugs known to impair drivers' reactions: benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants and opiates.
The only significant group of medicinal drugs not traced in the tests, but which can impair drivers' reactions, were antihistamines. In a similar study carried out in 1985–87, antihistamines were present in only 0.9 per cent. of cases. The incidence of those medicinal drugs tested for has not changed significantly since the last study and we have no reason to assume that there would be significant changes in the incidence of antihistamines either.
651W
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions in what percentage of the bodies of road fatalities in which traces of cannabis was detected in his recent test alcohol was also found. [29840]
§ Ms Glenda Jackson[holding answer 17 February 1998]Alcohol at some level above 10mg per 100 ml of blood was present in about one-third of the fatalities in which traces of illegal drugs—including cannabis—were detected.