Campaigners are demanding that the UK driving test feature compulsory drink and drug awareness training as drink and drug driving casualties hit a four-year high in the UK. While the driving test was updated on 4 December, 2017 campaigners are concerned that drink and drug awareness training is lacking…
According to Department for Transport (DfT) data, nearly 25,000 UK motorists have failed a roadside drug test in the last three years, while drink-drive casualties have reached a four-year high. The figures highlight a real problem among motorists under the age of 20, a quarter of whom were charged with drink-driving offences in 2017. The data has prompted campaigners to renew calls for the UK driving test to include a compulsory section on drug and alcohol awareness.
Driving test updates
The driving test was updated as recently as December 2017, with an emphasis on independent driving and new technologies, including driving with satellite navigation systems.
However, alcohol and drug safety experts are concerned that not enough is being done during driver testing to raise awareness of the dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Alcohol and drug safety expert, Suzannah Robin, said: “The issue isn’t how much alcohol you might consume, but if you have any alcohol in your system at all. Even just one drink means you are three times more likely to cause an incident. The problem is this information isn’t being highlighted or filtering through quickly enough.”
Drug-driving not being addressed well enough
Robin also argues that the threat of drug-driving is not being tackled well enough. Since 2015, roadside drug testing has been in force across England and Wales, and will be introduced in Scotland in 2019.
Data gathered from 40 different police forces across England and Wales, shows that nearly 25,000 motorists have tested positive for drug-driving since roadside drug testing was introduced in 2015.
Besides illegal substances, many motorists are testing positive for over-the-counter drugs and medicines that result in drug test failure, including diazepam, lorazepam, morphine and
opioid-based drugs such as temazepam, plus codeine, which is found in common over-the-counter medicines such as Nurofen Plus, Panadol Ultra and Syndol.
Clearly there’s a problem with educating motorists if they’re unaware that common, over-the-counter drugs can result in roadside drug test failure. With that in mind, it can be argued that drink and drug awareness should be included in driver testing, across the theory test and practical exam.
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