Our illegal drug driver rate is amongst Europe’s worst says insurer - March 2010

This regularly updated section of the HomeApproved web site will cover the latest trends, research, opinion and developments in the UK car insurance sector. 

Our illegal drug driver rate is amongst Europe’s worst says insurer
The leading cheap car insurance company More Than says it's time to bring in on-the-spot drug screening devices to dissuade the increasing numbers of individuals driving under the influence of illegal drugs.

More Than research showed that, despite 90% believing that drug driving was unsafe, an astonishing 21% of the drivers polled had been behind the wheel soon after taking an illegal drug and 38% of those believed that their driving skills were not impaired by the drug. It is clear that drugs are seen as a lesser driving risk because 94% suggested they wouldn’t drive while over the blood alcohol limit. This helps make us the worst drug drivers in Europe.

One in 10 young male drivers admit to driving after taking illegal drugs. If you are a young driver or possibly recently passed your test and include yourself in the above statistic then beware: Anyone convicted of driving while unfit through drugs will get a minimum 12-month driving ban, a criminal record and a large fine.

The police can spot the signs that someone is driving under the influence of drugs. Once a driver has been stopped their eyes will give them away because of the obvious and involuntary effects drugs have on the body. Remember, your eyes will give you away!

If you think drug-taking has little, or even a positive, impact on your driving you could be tragically mistaken. It's important to bear in mind that it can be hard to determine exactly how a drug will affect your driving ability - impairment caused by drugs can vary according to the individual, drug type, dosage, the length of time the drugs stays in your body, or if the drug has been taken with other drugs or alcohol.

ENDS

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