Drug driving legislation leading to prosecutions

THE introduction of roadside Garda drug driving testing devices last year has resulted in a substantial number of people being prosecuted for drug driving, according to gardaí in Roscommon.

The comment came after a motorist tested positive for cocaine, at a routine checkpoint near Kiltoom recently. The driver was stopped by the Roscommon Roads Policing Unit which was carrying out a mandatory checkpoint.
The new testing device, the Dräger DrugTest 5000, was introduced in April of last year. Gardaí use the roadside drug kits to test drivers' saliva for intoxicants at mandatory checkpoints.
The drug driving provisions in the Road Traffic Act 2016 gives gardaí the power to test motorists they suspect are driving under the influence of drugs, on the roadside.
Previously, tests could be carried out at a garda station.
Under the new legislation, a driver who tests positive for a drug in a roadside test can then be brought to a garda station where a sample of blood or urine is taken. The sample is sent to the Medical Bureau of Road Safety for analysis and the outcome of that determines whether a prosecution is taken.
“It has become very prevalent (detection of those driving under the influence of drugs) since the equipment has come on board,” said a garda spokesman in Roscommon.