POLICE in North Yorkshire have new powers to stop motorists driving under the influence of drugs.

The new law comes into force on Monday, and will make it easier for police to prosecute motorists caught driving while under the influence of any one of 17 controlled drugs and remove the need to prove impairment.

Specialist screening devices which test swabs taken from motorists’ cheeks will be used at the roadside.

Those found to have more than a legal amount of drugs in their system will face an automatic 12-month driving ban and people found guilty could face six months in prison or a fine of up to £5,000.

Motorists are also warned that some prescription and over-the-counter drugs, including some cough and cold medicines, anti-inflammatories, anti-histamines and antibiotics, could also impair their ability to drive, and may be picked up by the roadside test.

Deputy Chief Constable Tim Madgwick, North Yorkshire Police’s lead on road safety, said: “Drugs can affect driving in many different ways, and those who get behind the wheel when they are under the influence of illegal or some controlled drugs are putting themselves and others in danger.

“Given the serious consequences that can occur, we welcome any additional powers that might help police to tackle road-safety issues.

“This new legislation is a step in the right direction, but there are still some practical challenges with testing for levels of substances in the blood that need to be worked through before the full potential of the new legislation can be realised.

“Notwithstanding the changes to the law, North Yorkshire Police has always taken a very proactive approach to road-safety issues, and we will use the full extent of our powers on anyone we catch driving whilst under the influence of drugs.

“Drug-drivers are dangerous and have no place on our county’s roads.”

The zero-tolerance law has been welcomed by road safety charity Brake, which last year carried out a survey and found three per cent of drivers in the UK admitted driving on drugs, and as many as 200 deaths per year could be caused by drug drivers.

Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive of Brake, said: “Drug driving wrecks lives, and it is a crime for which there is no excuse.

“We believe the government is doing the right thing by taking a zero tolerance approach. We hope this will make it clear that driving on any amount of drugs won’t be tolerated. Anyone tempted to drive on drugs should be in absolutely no doubt of the penalties they face for endangering people’s lives and that it simply isn’t worth the risk.”