Ceist:
281 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the provisions for the control of drivers who drive under the influence of drugs. [30675/01]
Written Answers. - Driving Regulations.
John Dennehy
Ceist:293 Mr. Dennehy asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of road accidents in which the use of illegal drugs was a possible contributory factor; and if consideration will be given to introducing an appropriate test to definitely ascertain in the case of fatal accidents, if the use of illegal drugs had been a factor. [30587/01]
I propose to take Question Nos. 281 and 293 together.
Statistics regarding the total number of road accidents are published by the National Roads Authority in their annual road accident facts reports. The reports, which are compiled from information supplied by the Garda Síochána, are available in the Oireachtas library. The latest year for which figures are available is 2000. These reports, however, do not include details of accidents in which drugs were a contributory factor.
Section 49(1) of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, provides that it is an offence to drive or to attempt to drive, or have the intention of so doing, a mechanically propelled vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant, to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the vehicle. Intoxicant includes alcohol and drugs and any combination of drugs or of drugs and alcohol. A person who is convicted of an offence under that subsection shall be liable to the payment of a fine not exceeding £1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both. The Road Traffic Bill, 2001, provides that the level of the maximum fine for this offence will be increased to 2,500. In addition to a fine or a term of imprisonment, a person convicted of this offence will be disqualified for holding his or her driving licence for a minimum period of two years in respect of a first offence and four years in respect of a second or subsequent offence.
The Government Strategy on Road Safety 1998-2002 recognises that the influence of drugs on driving behaviour is an issue of increasing concern. Identification of the presence of drugs is however more complex than for alcohol. Consequently, considerably more work is needed to develop a more detailed regulatory regime in relation to drugs and driving. A number of research programmes are being carried out internationally in this area and the strategy commits the Government to monitoring and assessing these developments. To advance research in relation to drugs and driving in Ireland, my Department has pledged an additional £200,000 to the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, MBRS, over 2000 and 2001 for a two-year programme of drug analysis of blood and urine specimens. Preliminary findings of this programme were made available last year by the MBRS. These findings are based on samples submitted to the MBRS between 1 July and 31 December 1999, which proved to be under the legal limit for alcohol. Within this sub-set of samples, further MBRS analysis screened some 37% as being positive for drugs, the most common being cannabis.
These early findings underline the Government's view expressed in the road safety strategy that drugs and driving is an issue of growing concern. While it is too early to draw definitive conclusions, the research programme when completed will, along with other international analysis and research in this area, inform the need for possible changes in testing methods for the presence of drugs, changes in enforcement practice and procedures and possibly changes to existing legislation.