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Currently in Europe, if a police officer believes you are driving under influence, but it’s not alcohol, you’ll be taken to provide urine and blood samples to see how much drugs you’ve had before getting behind the wheel and pay for it accordingly. In the UK at least, this procedure is changing, with the police receiving drug testing kits to aid with the job.
Basically, police officers across England and Wales will receive portable drug test kits starting this year, mainly targeted towards spotting drivers high on cannabis and cocaine.
The principle is quite simple. When you get pulled over, the police officer will decide after a visual examination of your condition which test you need to pass - the breathalyser (for alcohol) or the drugalyser.
The latter uses saliva samples which are analyzed on spot to detect if the driver used drugs before driving. If the test returns a positive result, the suspect will still be required to provide blood and wee samples for further analysis to be sure.
Although many people are OK with testing drivers for alcohol or cocaine use, some believe it’s unfair to condemn them for cannabis use. Several studies showed being high on marijuana isn’t that bad and in fact can actually make some drivers concentrate better.
In the US at least, where cannabis use is legal now, police officers are instructed how to determine how high a driver is, because, yes, you are allowed to be a little high behind the wheel.
A visual exam or a special abilities test could be more accurate to condemn somebody for drug abuse while driving. Cannabis compounds for example are to be found in one’s blood several days after consumption even though the effects vanish in a couple of hours.
The principle is quite simple. When you get pulled over, the police officer will decide after a visual examination of your condition which test you need to pass - the breathalyser (for alcohol) or the drugalyser.
The latter uses saliva samples which are analyzed on spot to detect if the driver used drugs before driving. If the test returns a positive result, the suspect will still be required to provide blood and wee samples for further analysis to be sure.
What if you’re on medication?
Well, the test is said to make the difference and the police officer will see if you got the approved medication dose and if that substance forbids you to handle a vehicle or other equipment.Although many people are OK with testing drivers for alcohol or cocaine use, some believe it’s unfair to condemn them for cannabis use. Several studies showed being high on marijuana isn’t that bad and in fact can actually make some drivers concentrate better.
In the US at least, where cannabis use is legal now, police officers are instructed how to determine how high a driver is, because, yes, you are allowed to be a little high behind the wheel.
A visual exam or a special abilities test could be more accurate to condemn somebody for drug abuse while driving. Cannabis compounds for example are to be found in one’s blood several days after consumption even though the effects vanish in a couple of hours.
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