Motorists could face roadside drug tests under plans to reduce the number of drivers getting behind the wheel while intoxicated.

Police could be using a device within the next two years to detect illegal substances in saliva.

With random breath tests for alcohol already being considered by the Government, spot checks for illegal substances could also be introduced.

Ministers are hoping the new equipment will help them tackle the growing menace of “drug-driving”.

In addition to their own drug detector, the Home Office will also announce a deal in the next fortnight with a private contractor to develop a roadside device that is also capable of detecting legal drugs, such as sleeping tablets, which can impair driving.

At present, officers can stop a motorist who they believe may have taken drugs.

The normal procedure is to carry out a “field impairment test”, which measures co-ordination by a variety of exercises including standing on one leg, walking in a straight line and counting out 30 seconds. A motorist who appears incapable of performing these tasks faces arrest.

The driver is taken to a police station where a police surgeon takes blood samples after agreeing that the motorist seems impaired. The results of these tests lead to a prosecution.

The Home Office, which regards the present roadside co-ordination tests as crude, believes that technology will provide more accurate results.

Its scientists have been working on a device which can detect a number of drugs, including cocaine and amphetamine, in saliva.

It is understood to be near completion and ready to be brought before international experts for verification.

A motorist failing a “drugalyser” would automatically be taken to a police station for a blood test.

The extent of drug-driving is difficult to estimate, but in 2005, the last year for which figures are available, 363 motorists were convicted of driving while under the influence of drugs.

Another 28 were found guilty of being in charge of a vehicle while impaired through drugs.

However, it is believed that these figures grossly underestimate the number of drivers who get behind the wheel after taking illegal substances.

A Scottish Executive survey of drivers aged 17 to 19 found that nine per admitted having taken drugs in the previous 12 months. Six per cent admitted having driven while under the influence.

“Recognising drug-driving is a big problem,” said Robert Gifford, of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety.

“Firstly we don’t have the technology which can identify all drugs. Also drivers who are under the influence will often try to disguise it by having a small amount of alcohol.

“That means that when they are stopped and an officer smells alcohol, they take a breath test, which they pass.”

Even with a Government-approved drugalyser, other obstacles remain.

There is no legal limit for drug use, but setting a zero level could present other problems.

While cannabis can stay in the blood for several weeks, a defence lawyer could argue that an illicit joint smoked a fortnight previously could not be held to have had any impact on a motorist’s behaviour.

Source: The Telegraph website 08/02/08

Any comments from driving instructors who are members of BADDIA (Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association) giving driving lessons in Bedford?

We’ve all see them – cars with only one headlight, that can so easily be momentarily mistaken for a motorcycle. Well, they’re breeding and there’s a reason. It’s called technology! Yes, the more sophisticated and efficient car lighting has become, the more difficult it is to replace faulty bulbs and sealed light units.

The basis of the problem seems to be a combination of evermore streamlined car bodies crammed with evermore technology, to the point where there’s only room for another penny washer under the bonnet and not the tools or even the hands required to replace a headlamp bulb.

Apparently on some cars you have to remove the battery, disconnect air hoses or even take off the front bumper! By all accounts Halfords, who have offered a bulb fitting service for a small charge, now tell the owners of some vehicles to have the task carried out by their main dealer. This, of course, has serious cost implications and you have to hope they have mechanics with tiny fingers in tow, otherwise even they may struggle.

Moreover, the problem is not confined to front lights. Whereas rear bulbs used to be readily accessible through the boot on most cars, many modern vehicles require entire lamp clusters to be removed first, often at the cost of torn seals and broken fixings. This makes a bit of a mockery of some country’s laws that require motorists to carry spare bulbs on the car. There seems little point if they won’t be able to fit them!

This appears to be a problem the industry has created and one that only they can resolve. If so, the sooner it happens the better, as the resulting one-eyed monsters are a danger to us all.

Source: IAM website 06/02/08

Any comments from driving instructors who are members of BADDIA (Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association) giving driving lessons in Bedford?

From 4 February, some of the worst polluting vehicles will be charged to enter Greater London under the Low Emission Zone regulations.

What is it?

The Low Emission Zone (LEZ) is an area covering most of Greater London, within which the “dirtiest” vehicles will have to meet specific emission standards.

If they do not, then they will be fined or have to pay a daily charge of £200.

Why is it being introduced?

London Mayor Ken Livingstone is introducing the LEZ to tackle London’s poor air quality.

Transport contributes about half of all the air pollution in the capital.

Transport for London has said there are about 1,000 premature deaths and about 1,000 hospital admissions as a result of poor air quality.

The mayor hopes the LEZ will reduce emissions overall by 16% by 2012.

The LEZ will also help the mayor meet targets in the European Union’s Air Quality Framework Directive which tackles the emission of 12 air pollutants.

How much does it cost?

Registered vehicles will have to pay £200 a day to enter the zone. If the vehicle is unregistered and does not meet the emission standards, the driver will be fined £1,000, reduced to £500 if settled within a fortnight.

Which vehicles are affected?

Cars, motorbikes and small vans are NOT affected. Older diesel-engine lorries, buses, coaches, large vans and minibuses (over 8 seats and below five tonnes) will be charged.

Older diesel-engine lorries are bring targeted by the LEZ

The scheme initially requires vehicles of over 12 tonnes to meet Euro 3 emission standards for particulate matter – basically tiny pieces of solid “dirt” churned out through engine exhausts.

Operators of vehicles between 3.5 and 12 tonnes still have until 8 July to become compliant under a phased introduction of the zone.

The LEZ will also include motorised horseboxes, breakdown recovery vehicles, refuse collection vehicles, gritters, road sweepers, tippers, removals lorries, fire engines and some Land Rovers.

Motor caravans, ambulances and large hearses are also included.

The LEZ applies to all such vehicles, irrespective of whether they are used for commercial or private use.

What has been the reaction to it?

The Road Haulage Association and the Freight Transport Association have opposed the scheme, saying it was costly to implement and would bring few benefits.

The St John Ambulance also said it was concerned about the cost, because many of its vehicles will be affected.

The London Assembly Conservatives and the Lib Dems on the London Assembly said they welcomed the LEZ but had concerns the implementation of the scheme had been rushed.

The Federation of Small Businesses said many of its members were still unaware of the scheme.

The proposals were welcomed by the British Lung Foundation, the British Heart Foundation, the London Cycling Campaign and London Living Streets, which represents pedestrians.

But the Green Party on the London Assembly said the LEZ does not go far enough.

How will it be enforced?

The LEZ zone will be monitored using Automatic Number Plate Reading Cameras (ANPR).

Sign all round Greater London have been warning motorists

Vehicles entering or driving around the zone will be checked against the records of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to see whether work to comply with the zone standards has been carried out.

For vehicles abroad, an international debt recovery agency will be used to obtain unpaid charges and fines.

When is it enforced?

The LEZ will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, everyday of the year from 4 February 2008.

Haulage firms have been given extra time to adapt their lorries to meet the anti-pollution rules.

Firms will be given up to 28 days after the zone comes into effect to ensure their vehicles meet “green” standards.

After that, there will be a phased introduction over the next four years with more vehicles and stricter emission standards being brought in.

Source: BBC News website 04/02/08

Any comments from driving instructors who are members of BADDIA (Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association) giving driving lessons in Bedford?

TEENAGE drivers are being warned to stay safe and not use their mobile phones behind the wheel.

Students at Hills Road Sixth Form College were visited by a juggler to illustrate the potentially deadly costs of doing too many things at once, on the first anniversary of the introduction of tougher penalties.

Entertainer Duncan Bull performed a stunt using a wad of cash, a driving licence and a mobile phone to show learner drivers that not only do they risk killing someone if they use their phones behind the wheel but they could also face a £60 fine and three points on their licence.

The demonstration was organised to mark a new £1.5 million road safety campaign, called Think! which features a new radio advert as well as a hard-hitting television advert launched last year.

Research has shown drivers are four times more likely to have a crash if they are using a mobile, and road safety officers say new drivers and young people are some of the key offenders.

Lorraine O’Gorman, of GO East’s transport team, said: “Mobile phones have become a part of everyday life, and with today’s sense of urgency, they can easily be abused and cause major problems.

“Trying to juggle more than one thing at a time is exceptionally dangerous. Many accidents on our region’s roads are down to people driving while talking on a mobile phone, or even texting. The message of this campaign is simply: ‘Switch off before you drive off’.”

Speaking at the event, Debbie Maith, road safety officer for Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “Callers also play an important role in keeping the roads safe. If the person you are speaking to is driving, please arrange to speak to them later and end the call.”

Recent research showed a 40 per cent reduction in the number of car drivers seen using hand-held mobiles at the wheel between September 2006 and August 2007 in Cambridgeshire.

Last year saw the fixed penalty fine rise from £30 to £60 and the introduction of penalty points for the offence.

However, if the case goes to court, the driver risks disqualification and a maximum fine of £1,000. This could be increased to £2,500 for drivers of vans, lorries, buses and coaches.

Yet in November the News photographed 10 motorists on their phone or texting in just two hours.

Last month Cambridge magistrates were accused of “misguided compassion” after a lorry driver caught talking on a mobile while driving his vehicle through roadworks in Histon, escaped a ban. Phillip Kerry, 37, was fined £400, but escaped a ban after arguing he would lose his haulage contract and his family would suffer exceptional hardship if he was disqualified.

Source: Cambridge News Online 02/02/08

Any comments from driving instructors who are members of BADDIA (Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association) giving driving lessons in Bedford?