Mark Burrup, drug and alcohol specialist at Dräger, looks at an effective misuse policy.

Much of the research we see suggests that there are likely to be as many drug-drivers on the roads as drink-drivers.

Since the introduction of a law in Germany in 1998 which, like the UK’s Crime and Courts Act, removed the burden of ‘proving impairment’, the number of accidents attributed to drivers under the influence of drugs has increased dramatically. This could, in part, be due to the better detection tools available, as well as a more general rise in public awareness. 

Since 2006, drug-related accidents on German roads average out at around 1,300 per year. That said, the total number of traffic accidents in Germany has decreased since the introduction of the law and accompanying roadside screening tests.

It is likely that we will see a similar picture in England, Wales and Scotland when we start roadside testing.
What does this mean for fleet managers? Employees caught with alcohol and certain controlled drugs in their system could pose problems – not only in terms of staff being absent from work or unable to fulfil their duties, but potential bans for a conviction which may require recruitment and training of replacement employees.

Fleet drivers will likely be subjected to more regular screenings as employers do their best to safeguard staff and themselves against corporate manslaughter charges.

Introducing misuse policies can help avoid any misunderstandings regarding an employer’s position on staff drug and alcohol use.

For professional drivers, drug and alcohol workplace testing schemes can be invaluable, helping employers identify potential problems before they escalate.

We hope this legal development will lead to similarly positive results to those experienced in Germany and help with the European Union’s aim to halve traffic fatalities by 2020.

Any measures we can take to make roads safer for the tens of thousands of fleet drivers who drive on them every day is certainly a good place to start.