New drug driving provisions are being enacted today which will enable Gardai to test motorists for drugs at the side of the road.

The launch of the new measures took place at Store Street Garda Station in Dublin in conjunction with An Garda Síochána, The Medical Bureau for Road Safety and the Road Safety Authority. The MRBS revealed at the launch that out of the 3,020 specimens of blood and urine it received in 2016, 24% confirmed positive for drugs other than alcohol. Of these, 91% were specimens from male drivers, most of whom were in the 17-44 year age range. Cannabis was the most prevalent drug detected, followed by benzodiazepines.     Speaking at today's launch the Minister for Transport, Tourism, and Sport Mr Shane Ross, said the introduction of Preliminary Drug Testing is an important step in tackling this issue;

"Driving under the influence of drugs has been an offence in Ireland since 1961. The law states that a person must not be impaired (through alcohol, drugs or any combination of both) while driving or in charge of a vehicle. However, driving under the influence of drugs remains a problem in Ireland. It is estimated that drug driving is a factor in approximately one in ten fatal crashes. Drug driving not only puts the driver at risk but also passengers and others who share the road"

There are now 86 drug screening devices located in Garda stations nationally and 50 more are available for use at the roadside. The Road Safety Authority will be rolling out a large-scale media campaign across television radio and print in order to highlight the new form of testing which involves taking a sample of saliva. Chief Executive of the RSA, Moyagh Murdock, said that persons driving under the influence of drugs are a danger to themselves and others;

"Our own research shows that many drug drivers incorrectly believe that certain drugs make them better drivers and imagine themselves at low risk of collision. They also tend to overestimate their driving ability and show little understanding of how drugs affect their driving"

These new provisions are one step in a multi-faceted approach by the Department of Transport to tackle the recent increase in road fatalities.