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Drug Detection

New drug testing equipment to be used at roadside

A clampdown on drug-driving will see police use new drug testing equipment at the roadside from next year

Motorists could face subjection to substance diagnostics equipment at the roadside from next year if police officers suspect they are under the influence of narcotics.

A new crackdown on drivers who take to the road while under the influence of drugs - illegal or otherwise - will see law enforcement workers handed new tools in 2014.

The government plan revealed that even those on prescription drugs could face jail if the substance is deemed to have affected their capability to drive a car.

Other potential penalties for breaching the UK's first official drug-drive limits include a 12-month driving ban or a £5,000 fine.

The Home Office approved a new device for testing for cannabis use at police stations earlier this year, while a bill is being passed to allow the secretary of state for transport to specify the limit for each controlled drug, with one of the options being zero.

It has been proposed that drug-drive thresholds for prosecution be set at trace levels for illegal drugs.

Cannabis, for instance, could have a limit of 2 micrograms of Tetrahydrocannibol (THC) - its active ingredient - per litre of blood, while cocaine might be set higher at 10 micrograms per litre.

But the measures will also apply to prescribed drugs such as diazepam, which has a proposed limit of 550 micrograms per litre of blood.

"Drug driving is a menace which devastates families and ruins lives," explained roads minister Stephen Hammond.

"That is why we are proposing to take a zero tolerance approach with those who drive under the influence of illegal drugs and sending a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated."

The UK already has strict drink driving limits, which mean those who take to the roads with more than 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood could find themselves in hot water.