New Zealand
June 21, 2008
CANDOR Trust Mourn Demotion of Anti-Drugged Driving "Champion"
Read the press release from the Scoop
The Candor Trust convey condolences and sadness at the death of a top road safety professional Superintendant Steve Fitzgerald in tragic circumstances. New Zealand Road Police lost a champion when he was reassigned to Police communications.
Though his dedicated road safety efforts were frustrated by an uncaring political machinary that has seen progress in road safety sink to below 20th out of 28 OECD countries in the last 5 years, Steve Fitzgerald always stood up for what was right.
May 28, 2008
Land Transport NZ Misleads Public About Driving Risks
Read the press release from CANDOR Trust in the Scoop
Injuries and deaths primarily caused by either drug intoxication or fatigue far outweigh the recorded crashes in New Zealand that are caused by the failure to give way. Deaths featuring driving influenced by illicit drug use were over 140 in 2006 with 70 of these deaths visited upon the driver according to the NZ Police / ESR control of drink and drugged study.
May 3, 2008
Drugged Driver who Killed Sportsman, Jailed Again for Impaired Driving
Read all about it in Stuff
Judge Allan Roberts also suspended Richard Martin Burgess from driving for five years and ordered reparation of $2000 to be paid to the family of Kent Martin, the man he killed. Burgess had his licence suspended four times and has accumulated a large number of driving-related convictions since 1983.
April 22, 2008
Drugged Driver who Killed was a "Time Bomb"
Read more from Stuff
A registered methadone user who took a cocktail of drugs before causing a fatal car crash in 2004 should not have been driving, says Nelson-Marlborough Alcohol and Drug Service manager Eileen Varley.
April 15, 2008
ACC Misses the Point in Road Safety Seminar for Youth
Read the press release from the Candor Trust
The ACC seminar for over 500 international students from North Shore schools is criticised by the Candor Trust as being wasteful of taxpayer dollars. An overemphasis on speed and how that can affect ability to adjust to conditions, with a sole emphasis on the alcohol component of impaired driving was highly irresponsible on ACC's part.
March 7, 2008
Drug Driving Bill Much Needed
Read this story in the Scoop
Candor Trust say the road toll crisis, with past year fatalities increasing an average of 20 persons yearly since March 2006, shows the drug driving legislation must immediately be given urgency. Drug misuse is only a nose behind alcohol as fuel for the toll, and Labour can't remain complacent.
March 1, 2009
CANDOR Trust Concerned Over True Focus of New Drug Buses
Read this press release from the Scoop
Police National Manager for Road Policing, Paula Rose said yesterday that for the first time in New Zealand, the buses will enable Police to test and process drugged drivers, but ACC's injury prevention manager Phil Wright sent a mixed message in saying that drivers will be left in no doubt about what the buses are about.
He said this because ACC, which is painting the buses, is apparently just concerned by the amount of injury caused by Drink Drivers. So where does ACC stand on drug driving? Could it be nowhere, even given that they ran a sidelined International drug driving conference in 2005.
February 29, 2008
2 State-of-the-Art Drug Testing Buses Delivered
Read about this development in the New Zealand Herald
Police will now be able to test drivers for drugs as well as alcohol with two state-of-the-art $236,000 "booze buses" delivered to them today. The Australian-built buses are expected to be in operation on Auckland streets over the coming week and will supplement the existing fleet.
January 17, 2008
CANDOR Trust Urges Caution on Drunk Driving Death Figures Recently Out
Read about it in the Scoop
For several years now Candor Trust, Akilla Sleep Safety Foundation and others have nagged at the Police and LTNZ communications staff to let the big secrets about the prevalence and high danger of fatigued and drug driving out of the can.
December 20, 2007
Study Yields Surprising Results
Read the report from Stuff.co.NZ
A fifth of those who used cannabis said they drove "all or most" of the time under the influence of the drug.
About the same proportion of methamphetamine users admitted to doing most of their driving while under the influence.
December 17, 2007
Drugged, Drunk Drivers likely middle aged, Sneaking Around
Read all about it in the Scoop
- See what our allies in New Zealand, the Candor Trust are doing to combat drugged driving abroad
Candor Trust is concerned by the continued blame shifting to "young" (teen) drivers, as this group are the quintessential role models for us all, at least in so far as drink driving goes. The statistics looking back to 2006 make clear that it is in fact the 20-44 year olds who today need to be looking closely at their risk taking.
December 15, 2007
High on Speed, Truckie caught speeding
Read all about it in the GoldCoast
Police detected the B-double truck traveling at 114km/h on the M1 at Coomera about 10.45am. Its speed was supposed to be capped at 100km/h. He refused to stop so police relayed his registration details to other officers who contacted the Brisbane-based owner who rang the driver and ordered him to stop.
Things got steadily worse for the driver when police found four grams of a powder believed to be speed and two log books that had not been filled out correctly. The driver was issued with $3000 worth of tickets.
October 3, 2007
As Government tables tougher DUID legislation, TVNZ conducts Roadside Drug survey with Alarming results
Watch the compelling story from TVNZ
On the same day the Government tabled new legislation to help police test motorists they suspect are driving while under the influence of drugs, Close Up joined some volunteer drug testers uncovering some alarming results in Lower Hutt.
October 23, 2007
Truckie tells tale of Meth-impaired woe
Read the full account in the New Zealand Herald
The "industry" of methamphetamine afforded Robert all the boys' toys he could wish for - even his own rig, any truck driver's dream.
He drove the truck on hauls from Auckland to Wellington, high on P and with little sleep, if any, between shifts.
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Canada
May 14, 2008
Epidemiologist Examines Link Between Cannabis and Crashes
Read all about it in the Dalnews
It what he calls “a marriage of my research interests,” Dr. Asbridge will bring his expertise in injury prevention and addictions research to bear on a research project on the relationship between cannabis use and traffic collisions, with the hope of providing Canadian policy makers, academics and the general public with new insight into the issue.
May 5, 2008
MP Applauds Violent Crime Act Including Provision for Drugged Driving
Readabout it from the Mississauga News
They will provide for more effective sentencing and monitoring to prevent dangerous, high-risk offenders from offending again; and new ways to detect and investigate drug-impaired driving and stronger penalties for impaired driving.
March 11, 2008
Drug Recognition Expert Explains Why Bill C-32 Is So Vital
Read the piece from the Canadian Press
The way impaired drivers are investigated by police is headed for change. Bill C-2, which passed in February, expands the scope of police authority in
determining whether a person is impaired by alcohol or drugs.
February, 21, 2008
Night of Ecstasy Ends in Highway Tragedy
Read this story in the Ottowa Citizen
In the the driving incident, the agreed statement of facts says he drove his 1990 Toyota Celica the wrong way, heading east toward Highway 174, as cars were heading west. He was seen weaving back and forth, forcing several vehicles, including police officers, off the road as they attempted to avoid him. Many cars were damaged along the way.
February 6, 2008
MADD Canada Urges Parliament to Pass Tough Drugged Driving Bill
Read the Press Release from Market Wire
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD Canada) is pleading with Senators to swiftly pass Bill C-2, the violent crime legislation, so that it is not lost with the dissolution of the minority Parliament. The national organization will be contacting Senators this week to impress on them the significance and necessity of the impaired driving measures within the legislation.
"With the increasing rates of marijuana use and drug-impaired driving incidents in our country, we need this drug impaired driving legislation," says Margaret Miller, National President of MADD Canada. "Bill C-2 will save lives and reduce impaired driving incidents on our roads."
February 2, 2008
"Saint", DRE, Expected to Crack Down on Drugged Drivers
Read this piece in the Western Star
The city's RNC has a "Saint" on staff whose presence is expected to lead to a crackdown on impaired driving by drugs.Const. Brad Saint, drug recognition expert, is trained to detect whether a person is under the influence of drugs.
His knowledge and expertise were put to use in Corner Brook Thursday after the RNC received a complaint of a possible impaired driver in the area of Confederation Drive.
February 2, 2008
Much to Ponder, When it Comes to Drugged Driving
Read the editorial in the Winnipeg Free Press
Parliament is stepping into the final stages of debating a law to allow police to demand a blood, saliva or urine test of a driver they suspect is impaired by drugs. Until now, police could stop and demand that a driver take a field sobriety test (touch your nose, count backwards, walk in a straight line and turn) on suspicion he is impaired, but there was no test to prove drug consumption. A breathalyzer detects the presence of alcohol, only. Under the law now going to the Senate, refusing to take a test for drugs would be a criminal offence, as is refusing a breathalyzer.
January 10, 2008
Legal Limits Necessary for Drivers on Drugs
Read this editorial from the Citizen
As we see it, the statutes should be amended to establish a guideline on drug-induced impairment. Granted, this might give rise to cases in which a driver had been both drinking and toking and while his blood-alcohol and drug levels were within the legal limit, the combination rendered him unfit to drive.
December 27, 2007
Smoking Joint in Mouth Gives Drugged Driver Away
Read the news from the Times Colonist
When Saanich police set up a roadblock just days before Christmas, they said they weren't surprised to see a man drive up with a joint hanging out of his mouth. He'd tried to finish it before he reached the officers, but apparently didn't make it in time.
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United Kingdom
June 23, 2008
Asleep at the Wheel, Man Booked for Drugged Driving
Read this story from This is South Wales
A Man who took "up to 30" Valium tablets a day was found slumped over the wheel of his car by police officers.Neil Beaujean, of Granville Road, St Thomas, was sitting in his Ford Fiesta outside the Old West End garage in Clydach with music blaring and the keys in the ignition when he was discovered by officers in mid-April.
May 18, 2008
Drugged Up Driver Faces 18 Months, Six Year Driving Ban for Causing Serious Injury in Head-on Collision
Read this story in The Press
A Drugged-up motorist who caused horrific injuries to a York woman during a law-breaking trans-Pennine journey has been jailed for 18 month. Majeed, 23, fled the scene and tried to hide in a barley field but eye-witnesses and police followed him and he was arrested. A blood test revealed he had taken cannabis and diazepam, both of which adversely affect driving.
May 16, 2008
Anti-Drug Activist Appalled by Lack of Drug Driving Enforcement
Read more in the Derry Journal
According to anti-drug activist, P.J. Blake Inishowen is awash with drugs. But he claims the peninsula is not unique - the whole county is. Speaking with the 'Journal' this week Mr. Blake claimed there were probably as many people driving while on drugs as there were with alcohol but the Gardai either weren't interested or were not equipped to deal with 'drug drivers.'
April 24, 2008
Police to Be Given Training to Recognize Drug Impairment in Motorists
Read the article in the Lancashire Evening Post
Lancashire road police are to be trained to make motorists stand on one leg so they can tell whether they have taken drugs before getting behind the wheel. There is currently no instant test, such as a breathalyser, that can detect drugs.
April 9, 2008
Drug Addict Given 12 Months in Jail After Horrific Crash
Read the story in the Leven and Bradesburton Today
Christopher Winter, 30, had a new job and was on his way to get a methadone prescription when his car ploughed head-on into Caroline Gadie's vehicle, crushing it into Tickton Bridge.
March 4, 2008
North East Launches Major New Initiative to Combat Drug Driving
Read this story in the Morpeth Herald | Visit the brand-new DrugDriving.com
A major new initiative to target people who drive under the influence of drugs is being launched this week across the North East.
March 3, 2008
Police See Drug and Drink Driving on the Rise
Read this story in the Chichester Observer
Police officers have pledged to continue their crackdown on drink and drug driving after new figures revealed there has been a slight increase in the number of people injured on roads in Sussex.
February February 7, 2008
Motorists May Face Random Roadside Drug Testing Soon
Read the news in the Telegraph
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.
January 20, 2008
Mother and Daughter Lose Limbs as Crystal-Meth Crazed Driver Careers into Sidewalk Crowd
Read the whole scoop from the Yorkshire Evening Post
A drug-crazed driver on his way to meet a dealer maimed a mother and daughter when his car ploughed into a crowd.
Kayleigh Reeve was in London's West End with her mother, Victoria Reeve, 43, to celebrate her 21st birthday when Alberto Ramos, 32, careered onto the pavement.
January 29, 2008
Renewed Concern and Downright Fear Over Latest Drugged Driving Figures
Read all about it in the:
Excerpts:
Road safety chiefs fear there is a "self- belief" among young drivers across the district that it is fine to drive after taking recreational drugs. The claim comes after a survey revealed today that nearly one in ten young drivers had got behind the wheel while high on illegal drugs.
"The Government must take steps to tackle extreme risk-taking and appalling numbers of deaths and injuries involving young drivers," said Cathy Keeler, of Brake.
January 28, 2008
One in Ten Deadly Crash Drivers Tests Positive for Drugs and Alcohol
Read the results of this study in The Argus
One in ten death crash drivers in Sussex had taken both drink and drugs, The Argus can reveal.
Research by traffic police showed either alcohol, drugs or both were involved in a fifth of fatal or potentially fatal accidents in a two-year period.
January 4, 2008
Cocked on Cannabis, Driver Kills Friends, Goes to Jail
Read the news in the Telegraph
A cannabis smoker who killed three friends after he fell asleep driving home from an all-night rave was jailed for four years. Matthew Mather had already been deprived of sleep when he took the drug hours before getting behind the wheel for a 100-mile journey.
He was still 30 miles from his destination when he dozed off on the M1, swerving off the motorway before hitting a roadside sign.
December 20, 2007
Driving on Cocaine lead to Fatal Car Accident in Scotland
Read the news from the Scotsman
A convicted criminal killed a man after driving his Mercedes car while under the influence of cocaine following his early release from jail for a murder bid.
Craig Douglas, 44, crashed head on into university lecturer Richard Greig's vehicle after veering onto the wrong side of the road. Douglas later discharged himself from hospital and fled abroad, partly to "recuperate" from the crash in which he was injured.
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Israel
May 28, 2008
Stoned, High, Drunk, Killer of Six Convicted
Read this news in Haaretz
The horrific accident occurred shortly after 1 A.M. as Bracha and his twin, Eyal, were returning home from a relative's wedding. Bracha was driving while under the influence of alcohol, cocaine and marijuana. He ran a red light at the Ginaton intersection, speeding at 171 kilometers per hour. Eyewitness accounts and forensic evidence from the scene indicated that Bracha made no attempt to stop before the intersection. His Mazda collided with a Hyundai Getz that had begun turning left toward Ramle, killing all five occupants - Egged bus drivers heading home from work - as well as his twin, seated beside him.
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South Africa
November 5, 2007
98 nabbed for drug/drink Driving
Read this piece from ABC News
A crackdown by South Australian police on drink-driving and drug use has seen 98 drivers lose their licences.
September 2007
Cape Town cracks down on Drugged Drivers
Click Here for the full article from Health 24
The Cape Town Metro police are planning on testing drivers suspected of being under the influence of drugs at roadblocks.
The police�s National Crime Statistics confirm this, and showed that there has been a 14.3 percent increase in driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol and an 8.2 percent increase in drug-related crime.
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European Union
June 5, 2008
400% Increase in Drugged Driver Arrests This Year in Ireland
Read about this development in Wicklow People
The number of arrests being made in Wicklow for driving under the influence of drugs has risen by a staggering 400 per cent in just under a year.
June 4, 2008
Car Seized from Stoned Motorist in Italy
Read this story from Reuters
Two drivers in their early 20s, a woman under the influence of alcohol and a man who had smoked a cannabis joint, have had their cars seized in northern Italy since the legislation came into effect at the end of last month.
May 18, 2008
A Third of Drivers Under 24 in Ireland Drive Drugged
Read this report from The Independent
Almost one in three young drivers have driven their cars under the influence of drugs and many drivers are blatantly ignoring speed limits, according to a shocking new report. The report, by the insurer Hibernian, found that about 30 per cent of those under the age of 24 drove under the influence of recreational drugs at some stage.
February 3, 2008
Drugs Responsible for 25 Road Deaths in Cyprus
Read the new study in the Cyprus Mail
One third of road deaths from driving under the influence are caused by drugs.
According to the Cyprus Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EKTEPN), 25 people died between 2004 and 2007 in road accidents caused by driving under the influence of drugs.
January 7, 2007
Drugged Driving a Top Concern for Spanish Driving Public
Read one man's opinion from Round Town News
The [Spanish] roadside police now have the new drug testing device that can, as with the breathalyser, cause a charge to be made. Only those who have lost a loved one to a drunken driver, and I am not talking about those who just have a glass of wine with a meal, but the ones who go out knowing they are going to be way over the limit when they drive back. Remember the limits are much lower here than in the UK.
December 14, 2007
Swedish Christian Democrat Caught Drugged Driving
Read this story in The Local
The politician, active in local politics in V�rmland, was caught in a roadside check last week. He gave a urine sample which showed him to be under the influence of drugs. Police found 1.22 grams of amphetamines in his car. He was arrested on suspicion of drugs offences and driving under the influence of narcotics.
November 22, 2007
Spain Finds more Drugged than Drunk Drivers, establishes drug testing standard
Read the news from Typically Spanish
The Road Safety Prosecutor in Spain, Bartolom� Vargas, has said that there are more drivers on drugs behind the wheel than those who are under the effects of alcohol.
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Australia
June 23, 2008
Sobriety Checkpoint "Shocks" Police With 16 Charged with Drug Crimes
Read the whole story in the Coffs Coast Advocate
Drug detection labrador Boomer earned his dog biscuits many times over on Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday morning, giving police 32 positive indications on vehicles stopped by officers for inspection on the Waterfall Way between Bellingen and Thora.
A total of 35 police officers worked through the night stopping cars, searching vehicles and occupants and testing 649 drivers for drugs and alcohol.
June 3, 2008
77 Caught for Drugged Driving Facing Tough Sanctions
Read the news from The Daily
A grand total of 77 drivers have tested positive in random roadside drug tests since they were introduced on December 1 last year. "Among those charged are two drivers who have been detected twice (those matters are before the courts)," Police Minister Judy Spence said.
June 2, 2008
Rx Pills Responsible for Car Crashes
Read this report in the Geelong Advertiser
Drivers who pop prescription pills pose more danger on Geelong region roads than illicit drug users. It might sound strange but the head of Geelong's traffic management unit, Senior Sergeant Shane Coles, estimates drugs picked up from pharmacies cause more crashes than pot-heads or ecstasy users.
May 12, 2008
As Police Crack Down on Illegal Drugs, Truckies Turn to Kids' Rx's
Read the full article in the Gold Coast Bulletin
Anecdotal evidence obtained by The Gold Coast Bulletin suggests that the truckies are using drugs normally used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and diuretics as a substitute for speed or amphetamines to get them through long hours behind the wheel.
May 7, 2008
One Hundred Drugged Drivers Already Caught This Year
Read all about it in the Sydney Morning Herald
Nearly 100 drivers in NSW have tested positive to illegal drugs this year, with the majority having amphetamines in their system, the NSW Government says.
April 10, 2008
Drugged Driver Remains Behind Bars For Slaying Two Teenagers
Read this story in Goldcoast
Family and friends of two teenagers who were killed by a woman allegedly 'drugged to the eyeballs' when she ran them down in her car have applauded a magistrate's decision to keep her behind bars.
April 2, 2008
Suicidal Mother on Drugged Driving Rampage Endangers Dozens of Motorists before Crashing
Read this story in the Daily Mercury
She was bombed out on a concoction of drugs and alcohol and was drooling and couldn't stand up when police stopped her. Shepherdson pleaded guilty in the Mackay Magistrate's Court on Monday to dangerous driving while adversely affected by liquor and drugs, and failing to supply a roadside breath test, both on Barnes Creek Road on October 27.
April 2, 2008
Tasmanian Police Given Power to Test for Presence of Drugs on Steering Wheel
Read this news from Mercury
Police Minister Jim Cox yesterday introduced to State Parliament a Bill which will dramatically increase the number of people subjected to random roadside drug tests.
Tasmania will become the first state to give police officers powers to intercept and use reasonable force to enter any vehicle for the purpose of conducting a trace particle test on the vehicle's steering wheel.
March 4, 2008
Poly-Drugger Destroys Family's Life
Read this story from Mercury
The widow of a popular Hobart schoolteacher killed by an unlicensed drug-driver 11 days before Christmas now struggles with jealousy when she sees families enjoying themselves.
February 24, 2008
Meth-Head Trucker Chases Family for Kilometers after Overtaking Maneuver Enrages Driver
Read the whole piece in the Sydney Morning Herald
The 28-year-old driver stopped at Coffs Harbour, where he injected amphetamines to help stay awake on the long drive. Later that night, 20 kilometres north of the coastal resort town, he swerved his B double across the path of a family of six in a Land Rover. He wanted to stop them overtaking him, but the Land Rover accelerated past before the dual lanes merged.
February 6, 2008
Newlywed Man Killed by Meth Driver Fleeing Police
Read the tragic story in the Advertiser
A drug addict was fleeing police in a stolen car at high speed without lights when he crashed and killed a newlywed SES volunteer, a court has heard.
Denis Vlado Dundovic, 24, appeared in the District Court for sentencing submissions today after pleading guilty to causing the death of Peter Godfrey by dangerous driving and causing harm by dangerous driving.
January 26, 2008
Meth Head, Slayer of Two in Horrific Crash, to Be Sentenced
Read this story in the Daily Telegraph
David Culling and Daryl Luxford were heading north for a fishing trip two years ago when their van was hit by a drugged driver.
Kristy Lee Waldock fell asleep at the wheel after taking methamphetamines and crossed to the wrong side of the F3 at Berowra, ploughing into the other vehicle.
January 22, 2008
New South Wales Deploys Two New Mobile Drug Testing Vans
Read all about it in the Sydney Morning Herald
The chances of NSW drivers on illegal drugs being caught has increased threefold with the arrival of two new random drug testing vans.
NSW Premier Morris Iemma said the vans, each worth more than $250,000, would be on the road from Tuesday.
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