A life-changing event for many teenagers turning 17 is the chance to start driving, it’s also the prime time that some chose to experiment with drugs and after recent Government research found that one in ten young people admitted to drug driving* - it’s important to remind your children that the two don’t mix.

Drink driving is seen as risky, foolish and socially unacceptable but new drivers also need to be aware that driving after consuming illegal drugs is just as dangerous and the penalties are the same as for as drink driving.

 And teenagers who are too young to drive themselves might also be passengers in the cars of older friends, and recognising the telltale signs and understanding the dangers could prevent them from getting in the vehicle of a drug driver.  

Unlike alcohol, there is no standard measure for drugs, people take varying amounts, consume a combination of substances or mix with alcohol.  Not surprisingly, the results are unpredictable – and coupled with the inexperience of new drivers, can lead to highly erratic driving.  

Police Sergeant Rachel Gallagher works tirelessly to raise the profile and emphasise the dangers of drug driving.  She is the Police Sergeant and a Senior Investigation Officer for fatal road traffic collisions at Cheshire Police, which is recognised as one of the leading forces in the UK when it comes to tackling drug driving.  

She said: “As a mum I also do I can to subtly introduce my children – who are eight and seven – to the dangers faced on our roads.  They often ask me where I’ve been when I go out to a fatal collision from home.   

“Through first hand experience I’m able to say, ‘the man wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, he was going too fast, she was on her mobile phone, he wasn’t wearing a cycle helmet, they’d been drinking or taking drugs…’ the list goes on, and these collisions are all avoidable. 

“Hopefully when my girls are older they’ll be able to recognise the signs of a driver who has taken drink or drugs – or both - and not to get in the car with them, not to cave in to pressure.  A driver might have had one drink and technically be under the drink drive limit, but then have a spliff or two and the combined effects make them a dangerous driver - a danger not only to themselves but to all other road users.  

“My job is to deal with fatal road collisions and I see the devastation that comes from drug driving - when my children get older I’d rather they phone me at 2am to come and pick them up instead of getting in a car with a drug driver.” 

Rachel also stresses that it is not so easy for parents to recognise the signs of drug use as it is not as apparent as alcohol: “There’s no smell and no obvious drunken behaviour – instead, it makes sense to look at the eyes.  Ecstasy and cocaine cause massive pupil dilation, cannabis causes a bloodshot eyes and heroin makes pupils constrict to tiny pinpoints.  This is one of the methods that police take to assess driver impairment from drugs at the roadside as part of the FIT test,” said Rachel.  

Apart from the potential devastation in human lives, if convicted, a driver would face an automatic minimum 12 month ban, a fine of up to £5,000, in some cases up to six months in prison, a criminal record and the offence recorded on a driving licence for 11 years.

Many drugs can have a profound effect on driving performance: cannabis affects drivers' ability to react to hazards, judge time and distance and to concentrate properly; stimulants such as cocaine and ecstasy cause drivers to be overconfident, aggressive and erratic in their driving.  Drugs distort perception, including awareness of personal safety and the safety of other road users.

Below is more information on the effect on driving ability of the most popular recreational drugs with young people: cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy.

Cannabis

The effects of taking cannabis include accelerated heart rate, lower blood pressure, dry mouth and throat, increased appetite, slower reaction times, lethargy and the blood vessels in the eye dilate causing a bloodshot look.  

Users experience a lack of inhibition, relaxation, poor hand-eye coordination and concentration, anxiety, paranoia, impaired learning/memory and distorted perception of time and space.

When it comes to controlling a vehicle, cannabis users often think they are safer because they are hyper-aware of their impairment so drive slowly and avoid tasks that require effort.  The effects of driving after taking cannabis are:

• Driving slow
• Avoiding tasks that require effort such as overtaking
• Affects ability to control the car
• Increased reaction and decision times
• Inaccurate judgment of time and distance
• Poor control of lateral position
• Impaired sustained vigilance

Stimulants, including cocaine and ecstasy

Stimulants speed up of the central nervous system, accelerating the ‘internal clock’.  A user feels restless, nervous and anxious, there is an increase in blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature.  Stimulants also cause pupils to massively dilate.   

The euphoric feeling and boost in confidence often leads to a poor awareness of own impairment, overestimation of capabilities and a distorted perception of risk.   

The heightened self-assurance and false sense of security that comes with using cocaine is reflected in driving style, typically performing higher risk, more aggressive manoeuvres at greater speeds.  The effects of driving on cocaine are:

• Aggressive manoeuvres and erratic driving such as cutting up other cars
• Over-confident, high risk behaviour
• Speeding
• Poor control

The following effects are related to the fatigue following cocaine use:

• Inattentive driving
• Distraction and drowsiness
• Falling asleep at the wheel

Ecstasy makes users feel invincible with an immense euphoria, it doesn’t encourage aggressive driving but it does lead to a poor judgment on risks and can play havoc with vision for some people.  The effects of driving on ecstasy:

• Distorted vision and heightened sound
• Increased fatigue and tiredness, particularly when the drug starts to wear off
• Affects perception and judging risk
• Day-after effects are similar to cocaine leading to distraction, drowsiness and inattentive driving

Illegal substances have an uncontrollable and involuntary effect on the eyes and the police are able to spot this. Those unavoidable effects on the eyes are one of many tests conducted at the roadside which may then prompt an arrest and trip back to the local station for examination by a doctor and blood tests.

For more information, log on to www.dft.gov.uk/think/drugdrive