Drugalysers good news for car insurance

It’s long been a paradox that although police have it within their power to breathalyse suspected drink drivers, there has been no effective on-the-spot testing for suspected drug-drivers.

In this regard, we in the UK lag behind many other developed nations. Spain, Croatia and Australia are all have methods for ensuring that drug-drivers are tested on-the-spot for the presence of drugs such as ecstasy, amphetamines and cannabis.

However, here in the UK, if a driver is pulled over by police, he or she must perform a series of tasks, such as touching their finger to their nose, estimating the passing of 30 seconds, standing on one leg, and walking in a straight line.

Although these tests might be useful indicators of a driver’s fitness to drive, they are hardly scientific and do not compare favourably with the saliva-testing machines set to be approved by the Home Office.

Mike Penning, the Road Safety Minister, commented, “Drug drivers show a flagrant disregard for the law and put the lives of responsible motorists at risk.

"This announcement means that we are a step closer to making sure that the Police have the equipment they need to tackle this selfish minority more effectively and make the roads safer for everyone.”

It also means that, if we’re able to get a section of dangerous drivers off the road, we’re a step closer to making car insurance just a little bit cheaper.