drugs more and more implicated in accidents

Saliva sampling is becoming more and more frequent on the roads of France. In 10 minutes, it detects whether or not the driver has consumed narcotics. Cannabis, cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, nothing escapes him. Last year, out of 450,000 targeted checks, one in five turned out to be positive. On the road, drugs kill. “We now know that approximately one in three accidents concentrates the presence of narcotics in the driver’s body. explains traffic lawyer Rémi Josseaume.

A seven-year sentence for consumers

Often with dramatic consequences. In 2021, after excessive speed and alcohol, narcotics were the third leading cause of fatal accidents. Every year, 700 people lose their lives on the road in an accident involving a driver under the influence of narcotics. More often detected, cannabis causes drowsiness and alternating reflexes. Cocaine encourages the driver to take risks. For consumers, the penalties are heavy: six points less, and a fine of 4,500 euros in the event of a positive test and up to seven years in prison if involved in a fatal accident.