Local police have welcomed the extra training that will give front-line officers the skills to carry out roadside drug driving tests.
At the August meeting of Bathgate’s local area committee Labour councillor Harry Cartmill called for vigorous testing of drivers after complaining about smelling cannabis as he cycled past cars.
He returned to the issue at the latest meeting of the committee this week, pointing out that while he was cycling less than in the summer, he still smelled the drug wafting from cars.
“On a weekly basis I smell cannabis coming from cars. Has there been many instances where drivers have been stopped?
Sgt Jamie Duthie told the meeting that since the issue was first raised he had learned that training on use of the drug testing kits was rolling out across Scotland to front line officers instead of just traffic police.
“It’s great news as far as I’m concerned,” he told councillors.
He assured the meeting that there had been an increase in the numbers of people stopped on suspicion of drug diving and an increase in the numbers arrested and taken to the police station for blood tests.
In the wake of Councillor Cartmill’s request at the August meeting, the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed plans for a £1m roll-out of national drug testing by Police Scotland following a small-scale trial.
As the LDRS reported, Police Scotland is planning to crack down on drug drivers by training over 300 extra front-line officers to carry out specialised roadside tests.
Police Scotland estimates the move will enable around 700 drug-wipe samples to be sent for testing every month – the equivalent of 8,400 tests a year.
The cost to taxpayers will be more than £1.4million, but senior officers claim the move will have “a positive impact on road safety”.
A force report admitted that the long-term goal of a force-wide roll out of drug-wipes would require the support of “significant investment” in forensic services to cope with the scale and nature of drug-driving..
The incremental roll-out is scheduled to begin in October and continue in April and October next year before concluding in April 2027, by which time 315 officers – or 3.2 per cent of front-line police – will have gone through the training course.
Offenders face severe penalties, with a drug driving conviction resulting in three to 11 penalty points or a driving ban of at least one year.
Guilty drivers also face fines of up to £5,000 and six months in prison or a combination of those penalties.
By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter
