Motoring News » Road Safety

Is it time for a drug-driving law?

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:58:04 +0000

Safety expert endorses idea of roadside drugalyser test and says too many drug-drivers are getting away with it

Roads Minister Mike Penning: considering new drug-driving law change. Picture by Highways Agency

A current UK television advert tells of the consequences of driving while under the influence of drugs. The advert uses alarming imagery to show a group of young people cruising in a car at night; all of their eyes, including those of the driver, are twice their normal size.

A hushed voice-over tells TV drivers: “Drugs have an involuntary effect on the eyes that you can’t control – the police can spot this”.

However, many road safety groups think that this in a overly simplified message as “the police can’t always spot this and find it even harder to prove”. The penalties for drug-driving and drink-driving are the same but the police often find it harder to prove the guilt of a motorist suspected of convicting a drug-driving offence.

Breakdown cover company GEM Motoring Assist are just one of the road safety organisations who are keen to eliminate the threat of drug-driving. David Williams MBE, chief executive officer of GEM, said: “It is vital that the government does more to send out a message that drugs and driving should never be mixed together.”

Panel of experts

It is with such a concern in mind that the government has appointed a panel of ten scientists to examine the technical aspects of introducing a new offence of “driving with an illegal drug in your body”.

Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said: “The panel will look at how such an offence could be defined as well as considering whether it is possible to set levels for the impairing effects of specific drugs.”

New drug classifications

Drugs such as cocaine, MDMA, cannabis and opiates are certain to be discussed by the experts. A Department for Transport (DfT) statement noted: “It is likely that the panel will consider whether it is possible to identify, for average members of the adult population, the levels of drugs that have an impairing effect broadly equivalent to the current blood-alcohol limit.”

The panel will be comprised of academic and scientific experts in the field of alcohol and drug misuse and their work is expected to start in the spring.

These experts will have much to discuss. DfT figures reveal that in 2010 drug driving was cited by police as a contributory factor in 51 fatal accidents (compared to 250 fatal accidents linked to drink-driving).

However, experts think that this figure could just be the tip of the iceberg as ‘drugalysers’ are not available to UK police forces – meaning that roadside tests cannot be conducted.

Commenting on this situation, David Williams of car breakdown cover company GEM said: “Very often the police suspect that a drunk motorist might also have taken drugs but, not having the technology to prove this, have to content themselves with subjecting drivers to a breathalyser test. Many motorists who are convicted of drink-driving have probably been lucky to escape drug-driving charges.”

Mr Williams added: “I fully support the idea of introducing roadside drugalyser tests. Other countries use this technology so why can’t we?”

Current methods of detection

Police instead have to rely on a field impairment test if they suspect a driver has taken drugs before getting behind the wheel. The test involves:

Using a ‘pupil measure’ to record the size of the driver’s eye pupils – enlarged pupils can be an indication of drug use
Asking the subject to close their eyes and estimate the passage of 30 seconds
Walking ‘heel-to-toe’ in a straight line
Standing on one leg while counting out loud
The driver touching the tip of their nose with the tip of their finger with their eyes closed

The results of the tests determine whether a motorist should be taken back to a police station for a blood test. By the time a driver submits to a blood test the drugs can have left their system.

Currently, police have to prove that a driver’s actions have been impaired by drug use to bring charges – a painstaking process. Creating a new drug-driving offence could simplify this process.

The panel’s agenda

However, the panel will have some complex issues to discuss before the government can make an informed choice about introducing a clearer definition of drug-driving. For instance, the experts’ remit includes examining “whether impairment levels could be exceeded through prescribed or otherwise legally obtained drugs”.

Consideration will also be given to how taking a combination of drugs and alcohol (and combinations of different drugs) can effect a motorist’s driving ability.

David Williams of GEM believes that it is very unwise for drivers to mix alchol with prescribed drugs – the combination, he says, can be a “lethal cocktail” and one which compromises motorists’ judgement and reaction times.

Perhaps in a few years time the police will have more technology at their disposal to test whether drivers have taken prescribed – or recreational – drugs before getting behind the wheel.

With the Home Office having already conducted trials with drug-screening equipment in police stations, the prospect of roadside drugalyser tests seems closer than ever. Could it be that a police officer’s request to “breathe into this please” is set to take on a new meaning?

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Flu can be a serious driving hazard

Alan — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 03:37:48 +0000

Those motorists suffering from a heavy cold or the flu suffer from a major loss of concentration when they are driving, thus putting both themselves and other motorists at risk, according to new research. Road safety experts have found a dramatic increase in the rates of poor driving when those with cold underwent scientific tests.

Their reaction times dropped significantly, and they braked suddenly much more frequently, and as the motorist was a lot less aware of the traffic surrounding them, their cornering was also more erratic.

The study also found that their overall driving ability dropped by over 50%, the approximate equivalent of downing more that 4 double whiskies. This is a level of ability to drive that insurance companies expect to lead to accidents. The research was carried out by the insurance company Young Marmalade, in association with Halfords, and used a black telematics box to record a driver’s braking, cornering and speed.

Nigel Lacy is the co-founder of Young Marmalade, and as said that although this is a trial on a small scale, it should act as a warning for motorists. He added that heavy colds also impaired the concentration, judgment and overall mood of drivers.

There aren’t official figures for accidents caused by sneezing, colds and flu symptoms but the insurance industry suspect motorists are responsible for a thousands of prangs when they are under the weather.

The findings back up work done by Cardiff University Common Cold Unit** which showed that those with colds and flu suffered from poor reaction times and alertness and were a third more likely to hit the roadside kerb.

Halfords Winter Driving Expert Mark Dolphin said: “We want our customers to stay safe. You shouldn’t drive if you are not feeling well. The best place to be when you have flu or a heavy cold is at home, but if you really must go out, get someone else to take you and avoid driving.

“Other drivers should be aware of those around them.”

Added to this Police warn that drivers getting behind the wheel while suffering from a heavy cold could be prosecuted.

PC Steve Rounds, of the Central Motorway Police Group said: “Sneezing can be very violent, especially with a severe cold and causes the sufferer to close their eyes temporarily.

“Commencing a journey in such a state would certainly be irresponsible and could be held as an aggravating factor in any accident that lead to a death or serious injury, turning a careless act into a dangerous one and thereby exposing the driver to a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

Police also warn that some over the counter medications can cause drowsiness and hamper driving ability. If a person is rendered unfit to drive because they have taken medication, then they commit the same offence as if they had taken illegal drugs such as cocaine.

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New gadget will ease traffic jams

Alan — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:26:22 +0000

Traffic jams caused by police investigating road traffic accidents could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a new gadget that is being provided to forces right across England. Previously, when cars were involved in collisions or incidents on the road, the carriageway had to remain closed while specialist investigators mapped out the area in an effort to try and establish the causes of the accident. Something which is especially important should the incident ever go to court.

However, this also meant that roads could end up being closed for several hours after the accident, as no traffic could pass through the affected area until all the required information had been recorded, often by hand. Now, police forces in England are to be provided with new 3D scanners, which allow those same specialist officers to record the exact location of vehicles, casualties and debris in a fraction of the time, hopefully clearing the road for other users before a major traffic jam can develop.

Funding from the Department of Transport, along with the support of the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), will see over £2 million spent on these scanners, which will be purchased and distributed to forces around the country. Derbyshire Police alone will receive 37 scanners to improve the way in which local officers deal with the aftermath of traffic accidents.

The initiative to provide England’s police forces with this new technology is part of a government project called CLEAR, which aims to deal with all the major causes of delays and tailbacks on the country’s roads, from maintenance to accidents.

The 3D scanners will help achieve this by speeding up the investigative process following a road accident. Officers can use the hand-held tools to produce a 3D map of the area, instead of specialists recording their findings by hand. Not only will this new technique be quicker, thereby opening roads up sooner, but the image produced can be viewed immediately by investigators on a computer screen hundreds of miles away.

The Chief Executive of the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), Nick Gargan, welcomed the new investment in road policing, saying that the scanners will not only speed up the clearance of motorway accidents, but will also improve investigation techniques into traffic incidents as whole.

Meanwhile, Assistant Chief Constable Sean White, one of the leading members of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), added that the project will make a real difference in improving driving conditions for people all over the country, as well as greatly assisting officers who are trying to establish why accidents have occurred.

Finally, Roads Minister Mike Penning welcomed the enthusiasm of England’s police in using the scanners at the scene of road accidents, adding that studies had shown the new technology would decrease delays caused by these incidents by around 40 minutes. The aim of the CLEAR initiative is not just to improve driving conditions on England’s roads, but also to help boost the economy. Research has indicated that almost £1 billion is lost to the British economy every year because of delays and traffic jams on major roads across the country.

Motorway closures during 2010 amounted to an astonishing 18,000 incidents, with main roads closed for around 20,000 hours in total. The widespread use of 3D scanners to investigate road traffic accidents is expected to cut these numbers considerably in 2012.

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Steer into a skid, or not

Alan — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 05:14:46 +0000

Imagine it is a cold evening in the winter and you are driving to a friend’s house, you are driving at what you consider a sensible speed and taking great care. You are only a few minutes from your destination when suddenly you turn a corner, your wheels lose their grip and your car starts to skid across the road, what do you do now?

The general consensus amongst motorists is to try and steer in to the skid, but according to Peter Rodger, the Institute of Advanced Motorists head of driving standards says that this advice can be confusing. He says that people often don’t really understand what it means to steer into a skid, and as rule of thumb you should take your feet off the pedals then turn the steering wheel to face the direction that you want to go.

There are many members of the Institute in Cumbria, and it has trained then in the skills that the officers hope will help them to avoid getting into any accidents, and also show them how best to react if an accident seems inevitable. This winters first real snow and sleet led to many collisions on the roads, but luckily nobody has been seriously injured yet.

Mr Rodgers said that for drivers to dodge accidents during the winter then half the battle takes place before they even get in their cars. He goes onto explain that before you leave you need to think about where you’re heading and what the weather is like there. If you leave Carlisle and head off to Penrith, for example, it is likely that the weather is going to be very different.

Check out the road conditions there using the media or the internet then prepare yourself for those conditions. One of the biggest mistakes that motorists make is that they don’t understand what a difference driving into different conditions can make. Another issue is whether to risk travelling at all, Police in Cumbria often advice motorists to only make essential journeys, but this often leaves drivers with a dilemma.

To be honest, the last 15 winters, bar the past two, haven’t really caught us out weather wise, and deciding whether to drive or not is, for many, a difficult decision to make. They need to fully understand the effect of a slippery road surface and how to control this, they also need to take it onboard that there is no way you can beat gravity and if there is no grip you can’t make it happen.

Before a driver sets off, they should make sure that all the snow is off their vehicle and that the windscreen is clean both on the inside and the outside to increase visibility and also stop it steaming up so much. The advice that Mr Rodgers gives motorists is clear and concise and is extremely helpful for those who cannot avoid heading out in icy roads and braving the elements. Taking heed can greatly help you once out on the roads.

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Institute of Advanced Motorists calls for new driving test

Alan — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:56:50 +0000

The Institute of Advanced Motorists have recently held their Christmas lunch and many discussions about the safety of young drivers took place. Mike Penning is the Road safety Minister and he delivered a speech about how road safety in the UK can be improved and how the number of deaths of young people on the roads can be reduced.

In his speech he said, “The current driving test we have is no longer acceptable and needs to be reformed. Also we need to see changes in the pass plus scheme as it is only reducing the number of road deaths in young people by around 1%.”He went on to say that a test with a focus on real road conditions should be the ultimate goal for the driving test.

He also mentioned that there should be post-test education so young drivers can be taught the basic skills they need in order to become a good driver. He mentioned reforms that are being enforced by the government so that younger drivers become safer, including allowing learner drivers to drive on motorways as long as there is a qualified driving instructor in the car with them.

The Chief Executive of the Institute of Advanced Motorists is Simon Best and he has said, “Allowing learner drivers to practice on the motorway is a very important step to improving road safety but we would also like to see more focus on teaching students how to drive on rural roads which are statistically the most dangerous roads in the country.”

The Institute of Advanced Motorists has recently completed a survey which shows some worrying ideas that young people have towards driving. Around 60% of male drivers who have recently passed their test think they are better drivers than average but only 30% of women feel the same way.

The actual statistics reflect a very different picture as young drivers are the most likely to be involved in an accident on the roads and young men are far more likely to be injured or killed when compared with young women or older drivers.

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Brake Road Safety Week

Alan — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 08:12:31 +0000

Road Safety Week is a week of events that has been organised by Brake, the road safety charity. As part of the week police officers have been talking to people in the community about having a greater awareness on the U.K.’s roads and how to prevent serious injuries on the street.

David McLaren is the Chief Inspector of Met Police Traffic Unit and he is commented, “This year as part of Road safety week we are particularly hoping to tackle the issue of young people dying on our roads. Road safety is something we can all do something about and we should in order to prevent more unnecessary deaths.”

In Britain nearly 20 people under 25 are seriously injured or killed while in a car each day. Around six people in the same age bracket are seriously injured or killed while riding bicycles or on foot.

Across London traffic police are holding events and activities designed to raise the awareness of people about dangers on the road. They will be working with motorcyclists, pedestrians, cyclists and LGV drivers. The primary aim during this week is to inform people about the risks on the road, but the police will also be enforcing the law as usual.

During Road Safety Week the police will visit young people in college who are just learning to drive and give them leaflets about being safer on the roads. Police officers will also be increasing the number of inspections they are making on vehicles to make sure they are roadworthy, this comes as winter months are approaching and some vehicles are unsafe to be on the road. Later in the week there will be events highlighting the risks of speeding on a motorbike and the increased dangers of driving a light goods vehicle. For those breaking the law fines will be issued.

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Driving tips from UKs most advanced driver

Alan — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:24:19 +0000

The Institute of Advanced Motorists is a road safety charity that is offering weekly tips from Peter Roger, who is the most advanced driver in the UK. This week the tips are advising people about how to drive best in fog. Mr Roger has commented, “Many people struggle to drive in fog and it is actually one of the most difficult conditions for driving. If it is foggy outside you should allow extra time your journey as you will have to travel slower.”

If you are driving in fog it is important to make sure that your visibility is not affected by anything else. This means that you should clean your windows thoroughly and make sure that your lights are working, especially fog lights if your car has them. Make sure that your rear fog light is working so that people can see you.

You should only be using your fog lights when the visibility is less than 100 metres, using them when conditions are not like this will only serve to dazzle other drivers. It is also important to make sure that you drive slowly and keep enough distance between your car and the vehicle in front of you. Also make sure that you don’t brake suddenly as fog will mean people’s reaction times are generally slowed. When you approach a junction listen very carefully for traffic.

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Parking tickets bring in the cash for local councils

Alan — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 08:47:46 +0000

Between 2007 and 2010 the amount of revenue that local authorities have generated has risen by around £75 million to around £940 million. Much of this revenue seems to have come from parking tickets and in the period the number of additional parking tickets was worth nearly £100 million.

The cost of parking on and off the street has also increased by around 10%. If you include penalty notices then the amount of money that has been raised by local authorities is over £1 billion.

There is a downside to the increased charges associated with parking for many people are saying that trade in in town centres has decreased because people are less willing to travel in. A representative from the British retail Consortium, Richard Dodd, has recently commented, “Unfortunately, councils see parking charges as a way to raise their revenues and they don’t realise the significant impact they are having on high Street retailers.”

Westminster, in central London, is the council charging the most for parking and it is expected that they will bring in around £90 million through parking charges per year in the near future as they are planning to charge for parking on single yellow lines.

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Motorways opened to learner drivers

Alan — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:10:29 +0000

Next year, learner drivers will be able to travel on motorways in a plan by the government to reduce the amount of young people who are dying on our roads. Currently, it is thought that young drivers are particular dangerous on motorways because they are facing traffic that is travelling at speeds they have never encountered before. The plans will mean that learner drivers will be able to travel on motorways as long as there is a qualified driving instructor in the car.

Driving on motorways, however, will not be forming a part of the driving test as it would be impractical for some people who live in more remote areas. Between 2006 and 2010 there were over 82 people killed who were under 21 years old while driving on Britain’s motorways.

Currently many government ministers are concerned that the driving test does not adequately prepare young people for driving on the roads and there have been calls for reform. There have also been calls for trainee driving instructors to not be allowed to give lessons and have sad that a fully qualified instructor must be present with them and the learner driver.

There has also been criticism about the theory test and that it is too easy to memorise responses to answers and then simply repeat them in the test environment. The government wants to see the theory side of the driving test overhauled.

The governments plans have been welcomed by various motoring safety groups and safety initiatives will make Britain’s roads safer place. The Parliamentary Advisory Council For Transport Safety director is Robert Gifford and he has recently commented, “In principle these reforms are a great idea but putting them into practice is the most challenging part. I fully agree with the government’s plans to ban trainee driving instructors giving lessons solo.”

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Young drivers face new Safe Driver Test

Alan — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:59:42 +0000

Part of Road Safety Week, which took place at the end of November, was the introduction of a revolutionary test that many people feel is going to help reduce the number of young people dying on the U.K.’s roads. The test analyses a person’s personality and lists the driving habits they are most prone to. It can tell you about how you are going to drive before you even sit in the driver’s seat.

The test is called the Safe Driver Test and users psychometric profiling to analyse the personality of the potential driver. It is being developed by Swansea University and has been made available free on the Internet. After measuring the personality it analyses you for driving risk and gives advice on how you can reduce your risk on the road and gives tips on how to avoid dangerous driving.

The biggest cause of death of young people in the UK, aged 15 to 24, is dangerous driving. Amazingly, 20% of people who have recently passed a test have an accident within the first six months. There are many factors that are believed to make young people more reckless drivers, including feelings of invincibility, overconfidence on the roads, and being unable to assess risk properly. It is also speculated that many people drive more dangerously because of pressure from their peers.

The test is conducted anonymously and those doing it should realise that there are no wrong answers. The test simply analyses your personality and does not score you on how safe your driving might be. The brand director of the test has recently said, “The test is designed to let young people know that they should be concentrating completely on the road when they are driving. We are urging driving schools to start encouraging young people to take the test.”

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