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Conservatives call for roadside drug tests |
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Tuesday, 31 July 2007 |
The Conservatives have written to the Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill calling for mandatory roadside testing for drugs of those stopped by police as soon as possible.
This follows news that people suspected of being unfit to drive through the use of illegal or prescription drugs or alcohol will be asked by police to take roadside field impairment tests including eye pupils' examination, standing on one leg and walking in a straight line.
Commenting on the news, Scottish Conservative Shadow Justice Secretary, Bill Aitken MSP said: “In December my colleague Margaret Mitchell highlighted the fact that in Scotland 1,705 drink and drug driving charges over the last four years have not proceeded because there was an insufficiency of admissible and reliable evidence.
“The Executive’s response did not separate the number of charges for drink and drug driving. One possible explanation for this is the absence of a drug testing kit which in turn could be the reason for so many cases not proceeding.”
However, he added that this is an issue that should be urgently addressed, as one in three young people has been a passenger in a car driven by a driver on drink or drugs.
Aitken said: “In order to ensure the issue is addressed and given the priority it deserves then mandatory roadside testing should be introduced sooner rather than later. As this is a reserved issue, we wrote to the Home Secretary, to establish when the government would introduce mandatory roadside testing for drugs’ and to enquire whether a ‘drugalyser’ as currently in use in Australia will be introduced UK-wide.
"The reply stated that the best case scenario was a testing kit by the end of 2007, 12 months after we enquired, therefore I assume in reality its introduction could be even further away.
“I have now written to the Scottish Justice Secretary to ask him if there are any steps which could be taken here to make our roads safer, sooner, from drug drivers and asking him to confirm that roadside drug testing kits will be available and used here in Scotland."
No one has commented on this article.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 31 July 2007 )
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