Eight times as many

Fight against the increasing number of drugged drivers

Police officers catch drivers under the influence of drugs almost every day.(Bild: Wolfgang Spitzbart)

The number of charges filed against drivers under the influence of drugs has increased eightfold in the last ten years. Salzburg's regional traffic councillor Stefan Schnöll therefore wants higher penalties and simpler handling.

It is alarming! The Salzburg police report almost daily about drug drivers who have been taken off the road. Transport Minister Stefan Schnöll (ÖVP) wants to change this. Up to now, he had mainly declared war on speeders. This is now also happening to drug drivers. If Schnöll has his way, the controls should be more effective and the penalties significantly increased. The Salzburg native is also campaigning for this in the federal coalition negotiations between the FPÖ and ÖVP.

Rapid tests show an accurate result within five minutes.(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

One problem is the procedure until a driver is convicted of being under the influence of drugs such as cannabis and similar substances. Currently, a rapid test - a saliva test - is carried out by specially trained police officers if they detect impairment. If the result is positive, an examination by the public health officer is planned. Then - if the doctor determines that the driver's ability to drive is impaired - a blood sample is taken. The blood is then analyzed by forensic medicine. The result of this expert opinion is the criminal liability of "driving under the influence of narcotics".

"This is not only a lot of work, but is also extremely inconvenient for a consistent and efficient procedure," says Schnöll, adding: "The assessment, which was previously carried out by the public health officer, should also be able to be carried out by trained police personnel on the basis of rapid tests on site." Last year, 8,227 drug drivers were caught across Austria - eight times more than in 2015.