RTS highlights drink and drug driving dangers
The dangers posed by driving while under the influence of drug and alcohol consumption have been highlighted by Randox Testing Services (RTS), which points out that drink driving is one of the biggest killers on UK roads.
The company cites an estimate that 13 per cent of all road deaths in Britain in 2018 resulted from crashes where at least one driver was over the alcohol limit. A further 25 road deaths per year are thought to be caused by drivers who are under the drink-drive limit but who have significant amounts of alcohol in their blood, the firm adds.
RTS offer drug and alcohol testing programs to companies in safety-critical industries, such as transport operators of HGVs, PSVs and LCVs.
Dr. Mark Piper, toxicology services manager at RTS, said: “At RTS we believe it is the responsibility of public service providers, as well as employers who have on-the-road services, to undertake regular workplace drug and alcohol testing to strive for safe work-related journey, whether on the road or tracks.”
Dr. Piper highlighted the dangers that consuming different drugs can have.
“Cannabis can affect attention span and reaction times, as well as eye tracking abilities, making drivers under the influence almost twice as likely to cause a road accident,” he said.
The company also highlights blurred vision, poor speed control, drowsiness and the inability to accurately read road signs as among the effects cannabis can have on driving.
“The use of amphetamines can interfere with concentration, impair vision, and increase the driver’s tendencies to take risks,” Dr. Piper continued – with swerving, speeding and failure to maintain safe distances from other vehicles or stop at traffic lights being among the tell-tale signs.
“Cocaine can make the user feel more alert; however, accident levels prove they aren’t. Speeding and aggressive driving are both typical of drivers under the influence of cocaine,” he said.
He also noted: “After the use of the drug, the comedown effects of cocaine use can be equally dangerous as they include exhaustion, fatigue, disorientation and depression. Furthermore, opiate use interferes with reaction times and can make drivers less likely to read signs and more error-prone.
“Opiates can cause drowsiness, mental confusion, and visual impairment even at lower, moderate doses,” Dr. Piper added.
“Our drug and alcohol testing solutions assist employers and public service providers in ensuring their employees travel safely. With a range of different forms of employee testing available along with accompanying support services such as dedicated account management and detailed management reports, we will help you to effectively implement a workplace testing solution to suit the needs of your business.”
RTS offers a free substance misuse policy review service with the aim of helping companies improving their workplace safety policies. From this policy development, RTS says it can provide bespoke drug and alcohol testing packages to suit the requirements of every company, with advice on use of sample types to customised training and seminars and full account management.
More information about the benefits of workplace drug and alcohol testing programmes can be found at the RTS website.
