Gardaí are deploying a new drug testing device for drivers from today, to coincide with the start of their Christmas and New Year road safety campaign.
The new device will test for a wider range of drugs and will be used by every roads policing unit in the country.
The Christmas and New Year road safety appeal is being issued by gardaí and the Road Safety Authority against a backdrop of an increase of almost one fifth in fatalities on our roads so far in 2022, compared with the same period last year.
Drink and drug-driving will form a central part of the garda campaign over the next six weeks.
The campaign will also target drivers for mobile phone use, speeding and non-wearing of seatbelts while driving.
Roads policing units throughout the country have been given new devices to test for drug driving at the side of the road.
The devices are similar to an antigen test and use a saliva sample to indicate if a driver has taken drugs.
They deliver results in around eight minutes and can test for cannabis, cocaine, benzodiazepines and opiates, as well as amphetamines and methamphetamines for the first time.
Conviction for drink or drug-driving carries automatic disqualification.
There were 146 road deaths in the first 11 months of this year, up 27 on the same period last year.
Over the past five years, there have been 86 fatalities and 765 people have been seriously injured in road crashes over the Christmas and New Year period.
Between 2013 and 2017, research by the Road Safety Authority has indicated that almost one-third of drivers who died in road crashes tested positive for drugs.
It is an offence to drive under the influence of drugs, including prescribed drugs, where driving is impaired to such an extent that the driver does not have proper control of his or her vehicle.
Gardaí say their enforcement campaign will be intensive, and will concentrate on locations and times where fatal and serious-injury collisions have occurred over the past 12 months.
Families of road crash victims urge motorists to slow down
Details of the campaign were given at a function in University College Cork.
Speaking at the function, Assistant Garda Commissioner Paula Hilman said the new roadside drug testing device would help make the roads safer.
"This year has seen 146 fatalities on our roads, which is 146 empty seats at the table on Christmas Day," Assistant Commissioner Hilman said.
"We all agree that number is far too high, and we must work together to keep each other safe."
Alcohol is the most frequently detected intoxicant, followed by cannabis and cocaine.
Director of the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, Professor Denis Cusack said: "This enhanced roadside drug testing system to be used by the gardaí is timely as drug use in Irish society continues to increase and diversify, which also translates into more dangerous intoxicated driving."
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Cusack said an estimated 16,000 of the kits will be used in the next year.
He said people who are taking prescribed medications or over the counter medications, as directed, should not worry about the new testing devices.
Chief Executive of the Road Safety Authority Sam Waide said: "I am urging all road users to act responsibly and to not drink or drug drive when using the roads throughout the Christmas and New Year period.
"Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs doesn't happen by accident, it happens by choice - those choices could have catastrophic consequences."
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Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland Mr Waide said there has been a 22% increase in road deaths this year, compared to last, and pedestrian deaths have almost doubled this year.
If a driver travelling at 60km/h hits a pedestrian, nine out of ten of those pedestrians will die, he said, however, nine out of ten pedestrians hit by a car travelling at 30km/h will survive.
Mr Waide added that many other people who were involved in road collisions have suffered serious, sometimes life-changing, injuries.
'Unfortunately, what we've seen is a return to pre-Covid trends, in particular in terms of where and when collisions occur."
Drug driving - the facts and the penalties
* More than 2,550 drivers have been arrested so far this year on suspicion of drug-driving, according to figures provided by gardaí. That is an average of around 54 drivers arrested each week for driving under the influence of drugs.
* It is an offence to drive under the influence of drugs, including prescribed drugs, where your driving is impaired to such an extent that you do not have proper control of your vehicle. It is also an offence to drive under the influence of certain drugs, regardless of driving performance, above specified levels.
* If your saliva sample tests positive for cannabis or cocaine, you will be arrested and brought to a garda station where a blood specimen will be taken and sent to the Medical Bureau of Road Safety (MBRS) for analysis.
* If your saliva sample tests positive for benzodiazepines, opiates or amphetamines (including methamphetamine and MDMA) and a garda is of the opinion that you are impaired, you will be arrested and brought to a garda station where a blood specimen will be collected and sent to the MBRS for analysis.
* If your saliva sample tests positive for benzodiazepines or opiates or amphetamines (including methamphetamine and MDMA) and the garda is of the opinion that you are not impaired, you are not committing an offence and can drive on.
* All drug-driving offences carry a period of disqualification upon conviction. In terms of disqualification periods, for those convicted of the offence of being above the threshold for cannabis and cocaine, with no proof of impairment necessary by the gardaí, the disqualification period is not less than one year for the first offence and not less than two years for the second or subsequent offence.
* For the existing offence of drug driving while impaired, the penalty or disqualification period is a minimum of four years for a first offence and six years for a second or subsequent offence.
* If taking prescription medication, drivers need to follow the advice of their prescribing doctor and dispensing pharmacist and must be aware of the level of potential impairment, even temporary, that the medication may cause. This is particularly important if the dosage or brand of that medication is altered. If drivers are in any doubt or have any concerns, they are advised to speak to their doctor or pharmacist.
