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| Home | > | Drivers | > | Drinking & Driving | > | Drugs and driving |
Drugs and driving Drinking and driving is obviously a major problem, but it is not the only area of impairment that we should be concerned with ... According to a poll of 1250 young people undertaken by by BRAKE in 2005 , the road safety charity, one in seven young drivers take illegal drugs before getting behind the wheel of a car. A further one in 10 of those who admitted taking drugs said that they had mixed them with alcohol before driving. The charity said 18% of drivers who died behind the wheel between 1996 and 2000 had illegal drugs in their system, compared to 3% during the period 1985-1988. Mary Williams, chief executive of Brake, told the BBC that young people should be made to realise the "horrific consequences" of drink and drug-driving. |
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She went on to say that "Brake frequently supports families whose loved ones have been killed suddenly and violently because a driver has decided to get behind the wheel on drink or drugs.
"It is a disgrace that so many young people are taking these risks and an outrage that the government does not do more to raise awareness among this age group and invest more in policing our roads."
Police forces around the country are addressing the issue but 'random roadside tests' are perhaps the only real way of tackling the problem. Hampshire police recently targeted young people with a poster campaign warning of the dangers of driving while drunk or on drugs. Wiltshire, Devon and Cornwall forces announced earlier this year they would ask drivers at accidents to perform drug tests.
But its not only illegal drugs ...
Cold remedies, hay fever relief, pain killers, tranquillisers, sleeping pills, even herbal remedies ... These are only the tip of the iceberg!
Always check with your doctor or chemist to ensure that the medicines you are taking will not affect your ability to drive safely - otherwise, your medicine might just kill you.
Remember - Whether it's drink or drugs, a long journey or just around to the shops, a favour for a friend, or just avoiding the wet weather - IT'S NOT WORTH THE RISK.
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