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[Brikhead]

I was just wondering what peoples thoughts were on this new piece of legislation, it seems it will be an offence to drive a motor vehicle with narcotics in your system, even if you are not 'under the influence' of said substance...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/9249385/Drug-drivers-face-jail-term-under-new-laws.html

Some details still have to be worked out including which drugs should be included under the legislation and whether a threshold for prosecution should be set for each substance.

[hotel21]

Personally, no probs with this.

Glad they finally managed to perfect a broad spectrum field analyser as well as potentially dumping FIT tests....

[albitz]

Sooner the better.Hopefully very heavy punsishments to be meted out,up to and including being shot in front of their families.

[the alarming man]

+1

[Varche]

Last time I was in England, I was driving at night round the Leicester ring road and was on red alert. Just as well as a car overtook me and then cut across me for the A50 turn. Technically he had already missed it but still made it by flying off the Armco back onto the road. At the time I remarked to Mrs Varche probably high on drugs. Can't imagine what damage it did to the underside of the car.

It is a real problem everywhere and needs stamping on. Not sure shooting is the answer. Better would be Hard labour building my barrage across the Wash to create a reservoir of fresh water to sell to the rich South East .

[Dishevelled Den]

Last time I was in England, I was driving at night round the Leicester ring road and was on red alert. Just as well as a car overtook me and then cut across me for the A50 turn. Technically he had already missed it but still made it by flying off the Armco back onto the road. At the time I remarked to Mrs Varche probably high on drugs. Can't imagine what damage it did to the underside of the car.

It is a real problem everywhere and needs stamping on. Not sure shooting is the answer. Better would be Hard labour building my barrage across the Wash to create a reservoir of fresh water to sell to the rich South East .

Better would be Hard labour building my barrage across the Wash to create a reservoir of fresh water to sell to the rich South East

  Outstanding.

[STMO123]

Good news but doesn't go far enough. No drink drivers, no drug drivers, people over 65 to take an annual basic test, 3 month ban for mobile phone use, car crushed for no insurance or parking in front of my drive, 1 month ban for sitting in the middle lane, no forei.......

That will do for starters.

[Lazydocker]

Sounds like the police are finally getting the powers they need IMHO

[D]

A positive step. Not sure if there is a lot to discuss really. If the OP is referring to medical prescription opiods being in your system whilst driving then I am sure something like a medical card system can be introduced to counter unecessary harrasment.

Other than that I see no reason to have narcotics in your system, whether you are under the influence of it or not.

[MaxV6]

while in approve in general, i'm worried by the inclusion of prescription drugs,  and the total apparent lack of a fitness to drive test.

The nightmare scenario.


i am stationary in a queue of traffic....    and get rear ended ....   the police drugalyse both drivers as a routine....

my results show i have high levels of codeine in the system....  which although these days i no longer take daily, i still take dihydrocodeine ,regularly for my neck  which,  to my metabolism,  acts about equivalently to aspirin for most people...,

codeine is one of those drugs which in higher strength doses carries the drowsiness warning, and says IF affected you should not drive or operate heavy machinery....

i'm NOT affected .....   EVER........   but ,  it would seem likely to be one of the substances on the list....   


so, i face a massive fine, loss of license, and possible jail time for taking a drug which enables me to operate normally..... as opposed to not taking it and being unable to move my neck.... thus restricting my ability to perceive traffic around me....


so, i would like to see the inclusion of a mental alertness test,  or some other such means of determining whether the machine reading should be taken note of.

in other words, halfway between current situation, and the proposed solution.


on the other hand,  the stoned/tripping/"fix happy" driver should simply be shot.

[Dishevelled Den]

//.....while in approve in general, i'm worried by the inclusion of prescription drugs,  and the total apparent lack of a fitness to drive test//......

You are right to be so Max.

Given the tendency of those in authority to set off on a crusade to correct a perceived problem - only to fall victim to the law of unintended consequences - I can foresee many problems in attempting to create legislation (and equipment sensitive enough) to sufficiently address the apprehension of those drivers stopped while driving under the ‘influence’ of the myriad prescription drugs available to them.

The record of those chosen to draft such legislation, enact it and eventually enforce it does not read well for those drivers who will be stopped in pursuit of its existence.

[Dishevelled Den]

//.....while in approve in general, i'm worried by the inclusion of prescription drugs,  and the total apparent lack of a fitness to drive test//......

You are right to be so Max.

Given the tendency of those in authority to set off on a crusade to correct a perceived problem - only to fall victim to the law of unintended consequences - I can foresee many problems in attempting to create legislation (and equipment sensitive enough) to sufficiently address the apprehension of those drivers stopped while driving under the ‘influence’ of the myriad prescription drugs available to them.

The record of those chosen to draft such legislation, enact it and eventually enforce it does not read well for those drivers who will be stopped in pursuit of its existence.

  I can be a bit of a tit at times. 

The afternoon always mellows my tenor - perhaps it would have been sufficient to say that there will be a lot of oppsing about for motorists to endure while the authorities try to successfully apply this legislation in any practical, convenient and non-oppressive way for those drivers obliged to drive while taking prescription drugs or other generally available legal medication.