Report Summary
This report provides members of the Forensic Services Committee with an overview of Incremental Rollout of Roadside Testing.
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Meeting
The publication discussed was referenced in the meeting below
Forensic Services Committee - 30 October 2025
Date : 30 October 2025
Location : Online
Background
The introduction of Section 5(A) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (prescribed limits for drug driving) was adopted by Police Scotland in 2019. The new legislation provided police officers with new powers to carry out roadside drug-wipes to determine if drivers/riders were using vehicles whilst over prescribed limits for cannabis or cocaine. Until recently it has been exclusively road policing officers trained in the use of drug wipes.
The application of the new legislation was intended to support enforcement interventions following identified trends of drug driving within killed or seriously injured collision profiles.
To support this, in depth analysis conducted by Transport Scotland for all fatal collisions between 2015 and 2020 reported that within the reported 903 fatal collisions, impairment by drugs was a factor in 48 occasions. This amounts to 5% of all fatal collisions.
A combination of alcohol and drugs was a factor in a further 34 fatal collisions (4% of 903) bringing the total percentage of drugs being a factor in fatal collisions to 9% overall.
Following on from this period, between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2022, a total of 293 people were killed in collisions on Scotland’s roads. During this period 22 of these fatal collisions took place where it was assessed the driver or rider was impaired by drugs which amounts to 7.5%
Police Scotland, alongside partners within SPA Forensic Services and COPFS, is now pursuing a model for an incremental expansion of drug-wipes to local officers.
With an initial internal investment of £90,000, Road Policing has created Operation Seltern to oversee the necessary planning, coordination, officer training, administration and governance of the proposed incremental expansion into Aberdeenshire (North) and East Ayrshire.
The purpose is to provide a controlled and monitored incremental roll out with selected operational officers having the skills and specialist equipment to apply roadside drug-wipe testing without the requirement for road policing assistance.
It is anticipated that results from these areas will provide a clear indication of the demand, outside of what is already known from road policing, and allow for scalable planning in policing, SPA Forensic Services and COPFS.
It will also allow for broader future expansion and for more informed understanding of the financial implications for any wider roll out. It can then be included in relevant budget submissions.
