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Driving whilst under the influence of drugs The Police are now much better at recognising signs of drug use in drivers. If you get caught while driving under the influence of drugs, the penalties are severe. The police can test and will prosecute. If convicted of drug driving offenses, you can face; • A minimum of 1 year ban • A fine of up to £5,000 • Up to 6 months in prison As with drink driving, repeat offenders will be dealt with swiftly and more severely. A repeat offender will face a much longer ban from driving, if offense has resulted in a death this could mean loosing your license permenantly. This will also result in a longer prison sentence, which can be anything up to 10 years. Driving under the influence of drugs - whether prescribed medication or illegal substances - is just as dangerous as driving when drunk. It's also against the law. Drugs can affect your mind and body in a variety of ways that mean you aren't able to drive safely. Not only that, the effects can last for hours or even days. The police can carry out roadside tests of impairment to help them decide whether to arrest you if they think you are unfit to drive through drugs. Their code of practice for testing for impairment is available at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs/orders.html. A new website - www.drugdrive.com - has been set up to give 17-30 year olds information on how different drugs can impair their driving. Cards promoting the website and the drug driving message were handed out to 150,000 revellers at this summer's Glastonbury Festival. Where thousnads of people drive home after a week of excess drinking and possibly drug taking. Different drugs will effect your driving in different ways. Some will make you tired and unable to control a car, while others will make you far too over confident. Many drugs stay in your body for days and weeks afterwards. Driving home the day after taking drugs is just as dangerous. The day after, your body will be confused, dehydrated and fatigued. You may feel sick and suffer from dizziness or tremors. Drug drivers can suffer from the following symptoms. • Slower reaction times You're unable to react to unexpected events on the road quickly, appropriately or safely. • Poor concentration • Sleepiness/fatigue • Confused thinking • Distorted perception You're unable to see, hear, smell or touch accurately, so you're not able to accurately comprehend the meaning of road signs or take notice of your surroundings. • Over confidence, so you take unnecessary risks • Impaired co-ordination • Erratic behaviour • Nausea • Hallucinations • Blurred vision/enlarged pupils • Aggression • Panic attacks and paranoia • Tremors • Dizziness • Cramps You're unable to safely control your car using your steering wheel, so your car may wander across the road.