Drivers weretaking drugs

Already eight men across Sussex have failed a road-side drugs test.

Each of the men was stopped and tested using new roadside equipment that indicates whether a motorist has taken cannabis or cocaine, using a swab from inside the driver’s mouth.

Legislation that came into force on March 2 set legal limits for how much of a substance - both illegal drugs and prescription medication - motorists can have in their system while driving.

Officers no longer need to prove that a motorist is fit to drive - just that the motorist has an illegal level of drugs in their system while driving.

Those stopped include a 29-year-old man from St Leonards who was arrested at 10.50am on 4 March after his car was seen speeding. He was released on bail until May 7.

Inspector Stewart Goodwin, of Surrey and Sussex roads policing unit, said: “The fact that we have made eight arrests because of the new legislation and equipment in just a week shows how much of difference the change in the law will make.

“People who take drugs and get behind the wheel can have slower reaction times, struggle to concentrate and can behave more erratically on the roads, putting both themselves and other people in danger.

“We will not tolerate drug-driving.”