Ean Lewin Managing Director, D.tec International Ltd
According to a recent report published by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), drink and drug driving remain a significant and growing problem in the UK – and particularly drug driving.
The data came from the most recent annual nationwide crackdown on drink and drug driving, which on this occasion was known as Operation Limit, and saw all 43 UK police forces increase efforts to catch offenders from last November through to this January.
The campaign was the largest ever coordinated effort of its kind and saw an 18 per cent rise in arrests with 6,130 drivers caught compared with 5,186 during the same period in 2021.
It is more than 55 years since the UK’s first drink driving limit was introduced and there is no doubt, that over time, public awareness of the offence and its consequences has improved. Nonetheless, the UK continues to prosecute thousands of motorists per annum.
While drug driving laws have also existed for decades, it wasn’t until March 2015 when it became illegal to drive with specified levels of certain drugs, including legal medication. However, the offence doesn’t share the same level of awareness.
In their latest campaign, Operation Limit, the NPCC, report that drug driving has overtaken drink driving with findings showing an average of 80 motorists per day are caught unfit to drive through drugs.
Logistics businesses are particularly at risk, especially those with safety critical workers operating vehicles, forklift trucks and machinery. In some parts of the UK, over half of those being caught drug driving are driving to work or worse still driving for work, suggesting the likelihood of someone on your workforce being unfit to work at any given time is high.
There is no hiding from the fact that this is a very sensitive and emotive subject for logistics business to tackle. However, with drug taking now so prevalent within our society, addressing the challenge now surely outweighs the risks for ignoring it.
If you are unsure if your business has the right policies, procedures and protections in place, get in touch with us, we’d be delighted to support you and your business with addressing this critically important issue whilst recognising the sensitivities involved.
For more information, visit www.dtecinternational.com