An officer speaks to a woman suspected of drink driving

“The varying effects drugs can have mean that no driver who has taken any illegal substance will be able to drive to their normal standard”

Impaired drivers pose a continual risk on the roads and intelligence has shown that, shockingly, there are some drivers who partake in drink and drug driving while at work. Now police are calling for employers nationwide to help stamp out this potentially fatal practice.

Police forces have been tackling the issue of drink drivers for many years, but more recently the underestimated form of driver impairment through drugs has proved itself to be a great cause for concern and of further danger to road users. Around 3,000 people are killed each year on the roads, and of that figure a third involve people who are at work. This equates to over 1,000 road deaths and it is almost certain that a number of those deaths were caused through driver impairment.

There are those who think that by taking drugs and then getting behind the wheel they are still fit to drive, but that is far from the truth. The varying effects drugs can have mean that no driver who has taken any illegal substance will be able to drive to their normal standard, and in the same way as with alcohol, every person is affected differently. Twelve months ago, Hampshire Constabulary took the unprecedented step of creating a dedicated unit for tackling impaired drivers. Modelled on similar units in the US, the Impaired Driver Unit (IDU) is focused on identifying drug drivers, and removing them from the roads for the safety of all other drivers and their passengers.

PC Nick Ellcome and PC Jon Lansley are the two officers who have implemented the unit, and have undergone extensive training to introduce the new practices to the Roads Policing Unit (RPU) as a whole. Both officers took extensive courses at the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) School, as part of the California Highway Patrol Academy in the US, learning how to recognise the symptoms of each and every different type of drug, and the effects each of them can have on a person’s driving skills.

The courses were conducted over three weeks and included various sections of classroom training with an exam every day, and live evaluations where new-found skills were put to the test, with a six-hour exam involving essay questions at the end of the course. The pass marks were very high. PC Ellcome says: “The course was incredibly hard, but the officers and staff of the California Highway Patrol were extremely generous and helpful.”

Both officers are now recognised by the courts as qualified to give expert evidence on the subject of drug driving, and PC Ellcome was the second officer in Hampshire, and the fourth in the country to complete the demanding course in the US. Before the creation of this specialised unit, very few officers in the RPU were trained to recognise the signs of drug use in drivers, but using their skills and knowledge the IDU has introduced Field Impairment Tests (FIT). FIT tests include a range of simple activities, such as checking pupil size and asking the person to balance on one leg, to determine if a driver has taken any drugs. Such tests seem simple and even a little strange for those having to keep their balance at the side of the road, but the training is thorough enough that the officers can also tell which type of drug has been taken, just from the symptoms observed, which many do not even realise are visible.

Initially, participation in FIT tests was a choice for drivers, but as the problem of impaired driving has increased, the government has passed legislation compelling drivers to partake in the tests. Over 200 officers throughout the RPU are now trained to carry out FIT tests, and the IDU provides continual training and support for officers, as well as expert advice. It also plays a part in co-ordinating and carrying out targeted operations. The RPU uses a unique style of intelligence-led policing, whereby patrols are targeted towards known problem areas, and regular operations are conducted where impaired driving is identified as an issue.

Regular campaigns are carried out in continual efforts to educate the public about the effects of impaired driving, whether through drink or drugs. Many have never even considered the repercussions of driving while unfit and the long-term effects such an action could have. There are the most devastating consequences of collisions that the majority are aware of, having seen or heard about cases in the media whereby people have died as a result of crashes caused by impaired drivers, but there are many other issues that often are not as well publicised. If a driver loses their licence after getting caught driving while impaired, how will they get to work? Not many people work close enough to home to have the option of walking, and if they can’t get to and from work every day, how will they keep a job? Or perhaps their job is as a driver, and without a driving licence, their career is left in tatters.

The woman is breathalysed

“Even if an impaired driver is caught and manages to keep their licence, will their employer still want them?”

Even if an impaired driver is caught and manages to keep their licence, will their employer still want them? It’s not just their own reputation, but that of their family, friends and their company, says Hampshire Constabulary. Imagine you are the manager for a transport company, and one of your drivers is caught using drugs and driving while at work. Your customers won’t want to use you, no-one will recommend you, and the company name is instantly tainted. How do you rectify such a situation? As awareness increases across the country, there are employers who have taken it upon themselves to educate their workforce. Although no-one would like to think that their friends or colleagues partake in such an anti-social practice, you can’t always tell, say the police.

The simple action of informing employees of just some of the possible outcomes detailed above should be more than enough of a deterrent for many. However, the police stress that the number of impaired drivers who are ignorant to the risks are too high, and everyone has a responsibility to maintain road safety. It will equally be a surprise to many to discover that even drinking energy drinks, which are often marketed as being able to enhance a person’s performance, can have such an effect that the driver becomes impaired, and is therefore unfit to drive.

A case in the West Midlands set the precedent for such a situation, whereby a lorry driver was stopped by police after being seen driving erratically, and the cause was found to be a high level of the stimulants contained in energy drinks in his system. This had altered his judgement and reaction times to such a degree that he could no longer drive to his normal standard. Many people across the world use energy drinks and caffeine tablets, but in the same way as trying to measure the effects of drugs and alcohol, every person reacts differently and there is no way to tell how much reactions and judgement may be altered. Government health and safety laws state that all employers have a duty of care to their employees, and all those who could be affected by their work practices. For the transport industry, this applies to all drivers.

In reality, the proportion of drivers who drink and take drugs while working may be very low, but consider the amount that take energy tablets and drinks, especially for long overnight journeys and shifts. It’s probably quite high and, as such, could be very dangerous, say the police. Some companies have support systems in place for their workforce. This means that if an employee feels they have a problem with drink or drugs that could affect them at work, they can approach their management and receive help. Other employers take an educational stance, realising that not everyone knows the facts, and by making people aware, they are instantly reducing the numbers of possible offenders.

The FIT tests. A man is being asked to walk nine paces, toe to heel, before turning and walking back nine paces, toe to heel. This tests balance, co-ordination, and ability to concentrate and listen to instructions

“There are those who view drug-driving as a lesser action than drink-driving and they don't know that the penalties are exactly the same”

The IDU, and Hampshire’s RPU as a whole, fully supports any company action which helps in the fight to keep the roads safe for all road users. PC Ellcome is eager to encourage more corporate involvement saying: “We welcome any queries from managers seeking advice on informing their workforce. There are those who view drug-driving as a lesser action than drink-driving and they don’t know that the penalties, as well as the possible consequences, are exactly the same, even for using some over-the-counter medicines. “We will help in any way we can to publicise Hampshire’s commitment to saving lives by stopping these anti-social practices whilst driving.”

In the year that the IDU has been in place, the number of FIT tests being carried out on the roads of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight has increased three fold, where 176 people were arrested for drug driving in 2005, compared to only 91 in 2004. This means that almost one in four of the drivers tested had taken drugs before getting behind the wheel. Mark Bradford, superintendent for the RPU, says: “We’re proud to have been the first force to have put this facility in place, and the IDU’s first year has been very successful – to triple the number of tests being conducted, and double the amount of arrests being made is a staggering success. It sends out a clear message to people across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight that we will not tolerate drug driving.”

Being the first force in the country to create a unit for targeting drug drivers, Hampshire has received many queries from other forces seeking to create similar teams. As well as this, the work of the RPU in its fight against drink and drug driving has been recognised by the Home Office, and the IDU were asked to take part in trials for new mobile breath-testing equipment, which are currently on-going. At present, officers use a small machine to test at the roadside for alcohol in the breath, and although they will know in minutes whether any level of alcohol present is too high, they cannot give an exact reading without doing a further test at a police station. The new equipment enables the exact level of alcohol in a person’s system to be determined immediately.

Reducing road casualties is one of the primary aims for police forces countrywide, and small steps from all areas will help combat one of the most dangerous practices on today’s roads. It is hoped that companies will realise the benefits of publicising the consequences of driving while impaired, and safeguard their businesses and employees, creating a safer driving environment for all.