Drug-driving law will make prosecution easier

Jersey’s infrastructure minister has unveiled plans to tighten the island’s road traffic laws in a bid to make it simpler to prosecute motorists who drive while under the influence of drugs.

At present, offenders can face up to a year in prison or fines of as much as £10,000. Constable Andy Jehan said the proposed reforms would introduce legal drug limits for drivers and enable roadside testing, addressing what he described as a growing problem both in Jersey and beyond.

“There is a problem not just in Jersey but nationally with the number of people driving under the influence of drugs,” he said.

Under the proposals, motorists who test positive at the roadside would be taken to a police station for formal analysis. Those found to be over the legal limit could then face prosecution.

The issue of drug-driving has been a rising concern for law enforcement. Last summer, Chief of Police Robin Smith told a States scrutiny panel he was more worried about motorists impaired by drugs than by alcohol, citing the greater difficulty in detecting drug use.

The draft law, due to be debated by the States Assembly next month, would initially set a legal limit only for cannabis. Ministers say the framework would allow future assemblies to add limits for other substances later, but that THC, cannabis’s primary psychoactive compound — currently presents the most significant challenge for police.

However, the proposals have drawn criticism from campaigners. Simon Harrison, of End Cannabis Prohibition Jersey, warned that the measures could unfairly affect patients who legally use medicinal cannabis.

He argued that, unlike in the UK and Guernsey, the draft law does not include a medical defence for prescription users who might exceed the limit despite following medical guidance.

The reforms would set the cannabis driving limit at 5 micrograms per litre of blood. Jehan said this threshold was chosen with medical users in mind and is higher than the UK’s 2 micrograms per litre limit.

“We recognise that some people take medicinal cannabis for very valid reasons,” he said, adding that the proposed level aims to balance road safety with fairness to patients.