A major £1.5million escalation of Scotland’s war on drug driving could mean that around 8,500 offenders are banned from driving annually.
Ambitious plans to crackdown on the country’s drug driving epidemic will also involve more than 300 extra frontline officers being trained to carry out specialist roadside tests. Currently only road policing officers can perform drug wipe tests.
Police Scotland say the plans will have a “positive impact on road safety” by enabling more cops to ramp up drug testing and put the brakes on more offenders.
The news comes after it emerged earlier this year police chiefs were having to ration drug drive roadside tests due to Scottish Police Authority (SPA) forensic labs being snowed under.
Police Scotland say they are confident that accelerating the war on drug driving will make a “positive difference to road safety outcomes” but recognise the costs involved are significant.
A force report said: “The long-term goal of a force-wide roll out of drug-wipes will require the support of significant investment in forensic services to cope with the scale and nature demand of drug-driving in Scotland.
“In addition, consideration would need to be made on how to meet the cost to the organisation.”
Police Scotland estimate that around 700 samples would be sent for testing monthly which equates to 8,400 annually at a cost of more than £1.4million.
October is the proposed start date of the incremental rollout, which will then continue in April and October next year before concluding in April 2027, by which time 315 officers or 3.2% of frontline cops will have undergone specialist training.
The report adds: “Increasing the volume of police officers capable of carrying out drug-wipes, and achieving subsequent detections, is intended to have a positive impact on road safety and improve the confidence of the public in policing interventions.”
A short-life working group – Operation Seltern – has been set up for the phased expansion of drug-wipes for local policing.
The report says: “The strategic intention of Operation Seltern is to deliver a methodical, efficient and structured approach to rolling out drug-wipes to local policing.
“Increasing the volume of police officers capable of carrying out drug-wipes, and achieving subsequent detections, is intended to have a positive impact on road safety and improve the confidence of the public in policing interventions.”
Police Scotland say expansion plans will have to be “carefully managed” to enable the Scottish Police Authority Forensic Services, NHS and Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal service to cope with increased demand.
The news comes after Police Scotland launched a successful roadside drug wipe pilot scheme in Shetland in December for an initial nine-month period. Officers carried out 30 Drug Wipes with 15 positive results.
All of those caught drug driving were Shetland residents and 40% were female compared to a rate of 9% nationally.
The report says: “The evaluation of the Shetland pilot will provide key learning for the forthcoming incremental expansion of drug-wipes into local policing.
“Whilst detection levels remain low, the training, legislative procedures, governance and administration can be imported into other areas and regarded as best practice.”
Offenders face severe penalties, with drug driving convictions resulting in a driving ban for at least one year, between three and 11 penalty points and a fine of up to £5000, six months in prison or both.
The SPA provides Forensic Services to the criminal justice sector and carries out analysis of drug blood samples after positive drink or drug roadside tests by Police Scotland.
Proving a driver was above specified limits for drug driving is much more expensive and resource-intensive than for drink driving.
A single drug wipe costs £17 with outsourced forensic testing costing £266 per sample taking the total for each test to £283.
Drivers arrested are taken to a police station to give a blood sample, which has to be done by a qualified nurse and the arresting officer has to stay with the suspect.
In comparison, a breath test for alcohol can provide results within minutes.
Under the expansion plans, outsourced laboratory provider Eurofins will be used exclusively for testing and reporting outcomes.
Superintendent Andy Barclay said: “I am confident the plan will make a positive difference to road safety outcomes.
“Any consideration of a force-wide roll out would need to be considered alongside significant demands of medical practitioners, custody suites, productions stores and criminal justice partners.
“Increasing the volume of police officers capable of carrying out drug-wipes, and achieving subsequent detections, is intended to have a positive impact on road safety and improve the confidence of the public in policing interventions.”
