RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

May 20, 2002
TV AD SHOWS CLAMPDOWN ON SCOTLAND’S DRUG DRIVERS

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents today welcomed a new television advertisement in Scotland aimed at reducing drug-driving.

The ad shows how impairment tests – such as walking in a straight line and balancing on one leg - are now being used effectively in Scotland to catch people driving under the influence of drugs.

Mike McDonnell, RoSPA Road Safety Manager in Scotland, said: “Research reveals that young drivers are ignorant of the law about drugs and driving.

“After seeing this advertisement they will have no excuses. It makes it clear that there is little difference between drink-driving and drug-driving – both are socially unacceptable, and if you are caught you face a driving ban and possible prison sentence.

“We hope it will also bring home to young passengers the danger of getting into a car with a driver who has taken drugs. Peer pressure can have a great influence on changing attitudes.”

The advertisement has been produced by the Scottish Road Safety Campaign. It will be shown on television for four weeks and will also be screened later in the year.

Mike McDonnell is a member of the SRSC’s Drug-Drive Working Group. He will attend the launch of the ad at Strathclyde’s Road Policing Complex in Glasgow, at 10.30am on Monday, May 20.

It features footage of impairment tests being carried out by police in the United States, where there is a 94 per cent prosecution success rate. It then cuts to a street in Scotland where a man is being tested before being put into the back of a police car. The final message is that these tests are now being carried out in Scotland.

The main target audience is young male drivers. But the ad will be relevant to anyone who takes drugs and risks getting behind the wheel.