Drug drive legislation: am I fit to drive?

10 Feb 2015 02:31 PM

New campaign to remind people taking medicines to check with their doctor or pharmacist before getting behind the wheel.

New drug drive legislation comes into force from 2 March 2015 in England and Wales. So long as you are following the advice of a healthcare professional and your driving isn’t impaired you can continue to drive as usual and aren’t at risk of arrest.

In the dawn of new drug drive legislation, THINK! is encouraging people who take medicines and aren’t sure if they are safe to drive to check with their pharmacist or doctor. The new law comes into force from the 2nd March and is designed to catch people who risk other people’s lives by getting behind the wheel after taking drugs, and not those taking legitimate medicines that don’t impair their ability to drive.

The new law sets limits at very low levels for 8 drugs commonly associated with illegal use such as cannabis and cocaine. There are also 8 prescription drugs that are included within the new law. These are:

• clonazepam
• diazepam
• flunitrazepam
• lorazepam
• oxazepam
• temazepam
• methadone
• morphine

However, the limits that have been set for these drugs exceed normal prescribed doses, meaning that the vast majority of people can drive as they normally would, so long as:

• they are taking their medicine in accordance with the advice of a healthcare professional and/or as printed in the accompanying leaflet
• their driving is not impaired

Click here for full press release