Motorists taking prescription medication could be at risk of failing a roadside test and being handed penalty points on their licence, a fine or disqualification under new proposals on drug-driving to be considered by the government.

The recommendations are expected to be contained in a report commissioned by the Department for Transport, due to be presented to ministers this week. The review by Sir Peter North, a former law commissioner who advises on legislation reform, is also expected to recommend lowering the drink-drive limit from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg, limiting the average man to less than a pint of beer and women to half a pint.

The recommendation on drugs is intended to deter drivers from using illegal substances, but it will also affect drivers who take legal medical treatments. If adopted it would mean the police would be kitted out with roadside testing equipment to determine whether drivers were over the “drug-drive” limit. Devices to detect drugs, based on sweat analysis, have been tested by police at the roadside in the past but have never been adopted.

At present, in order to successfully prosecute under the Road Traffic Act, the police must prove a driver who has taken drugs was impaired. This often involves a subjective test in which drivers are asked to walk in a straight line or count backwards from 10.

The most recent research, from 2001, found nearly a quarter of drivers involved in fatal accidents had some form of drug in their bloodstream. Cannabis was most common, found in 8.2% of accidents, followed by opiates, which include heroin and legal painkillers such as codeine. Benzodiazepines, which treat anxiety and seizures, were next.

Source: The Times