Number of drivers caught using drugs up 30 per cent since 2019
The number of drivers in Belgium caught driving under the influence of drugs has risen by 30 per cent in five years, according to figures published on Friday by the Vias transport institute. One in six drivers who tested positive for drugs last year had taken more than one type of drug.
A total of 12,636 drivers tested positive for drugs in Belgium in 2023, an average of almost 35 drivers a day. The National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology found that cannabis remains the most commonly used drug by drivers at 58 per cent, followed by cocaine, amphetamines and opiates such as heroin and morphine.
Combining drugs
The institute also found that one in six drivers caught combined different types of drugs. For example, both cocaine and cannabis were found in 9 per cent of samples, and the combination of cocaine and amphetamines occurred in 3 per cent of samples. In 2 per cent of cases, the driver was found to have taken three types of drugs.
Vias points out that the number of drivers caught taking drugs has increased by around 30 per cent since 2019. Driving under the influence of drugs has serious consequences for a driver's ability. Those who combine different types of drugs are five to 30 times more likely to be involved in an accident, the figures show.
Vias is calling for a further increase in the number of roadside drug tests and for systematic testing in all accidents involving death or injury.
© BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE
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