Tracknum: 31792..32.20000804075811.00e83920 Pubdate: Fri, 04 Aug 2000 Source: Irish Independent (Ireland) Copyright: Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Ltd Contact: http://www.independent.ie/ Author: Richard Ford DRUG TEST DRIVERS TO WALK THE LINE British drivers suspected of taking drugs will have to take roadside tests, including walking in a straight line while looking at their feet, to prove that they are not high on cannabis, cocaine or ecstasy. The US-style tests were introduced yesterday and are expected to lead to a 10-fold increase in arrests for driving under the influence of drugs. Traffic police predict that up to 20,000 motorists will undergo the tests during the next 12 months before being asked to provide samples for examination. Under the first test drivers will be ordered to walk in a straight line along the road while looking at their feet and counting off a predetermined number of steps. If they lose count, falter, stumble or veer off course, they fail. The second test requires drivers to stand on one leg with their head tilted back, their eyes shut and their other leg raised above the ground. They then have to extend their arms and touch their nose with their index finger three times in a row with each hand. If they lose their balance, open their eyes or touch the wrong part of their face, they fail. A third test makes the driver stand with both feet on the ground and stare straight ahead. The pupils in their eyes are compared with an indicator board held at the side of their face to see if they are dilated or constricted. For the fourth test, motorists must stand with their eyes closed and count off 30 seconds without speaking. Richard Brustrom, spokesman on drug-driving for the Association of Chief Police Officers, said that of those who died on the road, six times as many now had traces of drugs in their bodies compared with 10 years ago. That accounted for about 700 deaths a year, although they could not be directly attributable to drugs. Drivers found guilty of driving under the influence of drugs face fines of pounds 5,000 plus a driving ban and/or a jail sentence of up to six months.