Slight decrease in Gloucestershire drug driving arrests

Drug driving arrests in Gloucestershire have decreased slightly in 2017, after rising from less than two dozen to several hundred during the previous three years.

256 drivers were arrested for drug driving in 2017, a decrease from 277 in 2016.

Roadside swab tests for drugs were introduced in 2015 and were responsible for the increase from a relatively small number of drug driving arrests in 2014. Also, the legal maximum for eight drugs, including marijuana and cocaine, are so low that it is most probable that a positive test will result from using any quantity of those drugs before getting behind the wheel.

In 2015, 107 Gloucestershire drivers faced charges of drug driving, while the number in 2014 was just 21.

Individuals convicted of drug driving will not be allowed to drive on public roads for at least a year. They could also be fined, with no limit prescribed by law, and could receive a maximum jail sentence of six months, plus be burdened with a criminal record.

A drug driving conviction would remain on their driving licence for 11 years. Drivers convicted of drug driving resulting in a person’s death face a prison sentence, with a maximum of 14 years.

Banned drugs include morphine, diazepam, amphetamine, lorazepam, flunitrazepam, clonazepam, methadone, temazepam, oxazepam, codeine, fentanyl, and tramadol.

A spokesperson for the Gloucestershire Constabulary said that their overriding concern is to prevent unnecessary injuries and deaths due to drug driving. They advise anyone who takes drugs to avoid driving on the county’s roads.