Drugged Drivers All But
Equalize Drunk Ones
More than 22,000 drivers were checked for use of substances. PHOTO: POLICE.BE26 JAN - The number of drugged drivers almost equalizes that of drunk ones.The solid pan-European trend was lately reconfirmed during a recent "Alcohol-free weekend" campaign by the Belgian Federal Police and local police zones . 2.29% of drivers in violation and more and more drivers under the influence of drugs, results showed.
Operation
The operation took place from Friday 01/21/2022 - 6:00 p.m. to Monday 01/24/2022 - 06:00 a.m. when integrated police teams checked more than 22,000 drivers. Compared to the previous edition of June 2021, where 2.83% of drivers were caught in violation, a drop was registered. On the other hand, in comparison with the January 2021 edition, where 1.91% of drivers blew positive, there is an increase. "2.29% of drivers in violation is absolutely not a good result. This figure is far too high", the Police commented in a press-release.
Trend
The number of driving license withdrawals for driving under the influence of drugs (101) was almost equivalent to the number of withdrawals for driving under the influence of alcohol (107), results showed. "This is also a very worrying finding. With each new "Alcohol-free weekend" action the numbers of positives for alcohol and drugs increasingly converge", the Police said. "Despite risks, driving under the influence remains a harsh reality. The fight is absolutely not yet won. The police services are continuing their efforts and driving under the influence remains one of our major priorities. Driving under the influence greatly increases the likelihood of an accident", the Police added.
