"New CSO figures confirm the ongoing and worrying rise in the incidents of drug driving on our roads" according to Labour Transport Spokesperson Tommy Broughan T.D.

"The new CSO figures record that in the last quarter of 2004 there were just 16 recorded offences of driving a vehicle under the influence of drugs. In contrast by the last quarter of 2008 there were 238 recorded incidents of drug driving, 253 incidents in the first quarter of 2009, 218 incidents in quarter two of ’09 and 128 incidents in quarter three of ’09.

"The recorded incidents of drug driving are significantly less than those of driving under the influence of alcohol (for example 4363 incidents in the last quarter of 2008 and 3740 in the first quarter of ’09). However, there is clearly a significant upward trend in the number of drug drivers. A July ’09 CSO survey showed an 81% drug driving increase on the previous year. The number of specimens tested for the presence of a drug or drugs by the Medical Bureau of Road Safety increased from 569 in 2004, 747 in 2005, 879 in 2006, 1555 in 2007 to 1900 in 2008.

"Due to the lack of a random roadside drug enforcement and testing regime these figures probably represent only a fraction of drug drivers. For example a 2008 investigation by the insurance company Hibernian found that more than 20% of drivers under the age of 35 had driven while under the influence of drugs.

"The new Road Traffic Bill 2009 includes measures for the introduction of preliminary impairment testing for drug driving. However I have asked Transport Minister Dempsey on numerous occasions to examine the suitability of random roadside drug testing programmes such as are already in place in the Australian states of New South Wales, Tasmania and Queensland.

"The Road Safety Authority (RSA) led by Gay Byrne, Noel Brett and all their staff must be strongly commended for their outstanding work in significantly reducing road deaths in 2009. Yet 239 lives were tragically still lost last year. Minister Dempsey must now ensure that the RSA and the Medical Bureau of Road Safety are given all of the necessary technical and other resources to address the increasing menace of drug driving."