WARNINGS about the danger of drivers smoking cannabis behind the wheel should form part of a new Government campaign following the decision not to reclassify the drug, road safety experts say.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke ruled out another reclassification of cannabis, despite fresh fears about the drug’s side-effects. He said he was accepting the advice of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to keep cannabis as a Class C drug, two years after it was downgraded from Class B.

The move has prompted the RAC Foundation to call on the Government to warn drivers of the dangers associated with using the drug, such as finding it difficult to keep in lane, follow bends or maintaining concentration.

Executive director Edmund King said: ‘The Home Secretary’s promise of a ‘massive public information campaign’ is good news, but it is vital that this campaign also targets drivers, particularly young people, to drive home the consequences of taking drugs and taking to the road.’