Hundreds of motorists test positive for drugs

Police have been permitted to use roadside drug testing kits since new laws were introduced in March

More than 900 people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland tested positive for drug-driving in the run-up to Christmas, police figures show.

During December, 1,888 motorists were stopped and screened for drug use, with 931 - nearly half - testing positive.

Following a change in the law in March, police can test drivers for 17 illegal and prescription drugs at the roadside.

The National Police Chiefs' Council said the figures showed the new law was being used to make roads safer.

The figures, which do not include data for Police Scotland, show that 110,226 drivers were given a breath test to check for drink or drug use in December, compared with 133,996 motorists in 2014.

Just over 5.4% tested positive, refused to take the test or failed to give enough breath - up from 4.4% the previous year.

In Wales, 99 people were arrested on suspicion of drug-driving during that period. Arrest figures for England and Northern Ireland have not been released.

'Worrying figures'

Chief Constable Suzette Davenport, of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said officers had used the new legislation and roadside "drugalysers" alongside local knowledge and intelligence to focus on "high-risk locations".

"Over the last Christmas, we detected and prosecuted more people than ever who have taken the very dangerous risk of driving after taking drugs," she said.

RAC chief engineer David Bizley said it was "worrying" that so many drivers had been caught breaking the law, and claimed there may be more than figures suggested.

"If a police officer suspects that a motorist is driving under the influence of both drink and drugs, they will normally test for alcohol only because this is far cheaper and simpler than testing for illegal drugs and the penalties are similar for both offences," he said.

"The figures published by the police for positive drug tests are therefore likely to understate the number of motorists caught when driving under the influence of drugs."