Drug driving

Convicted Driver Insurance

Ellar

New Member
Hi. A few weeks ago I was stopped by police for "looking stoned" while driving. Admittedly, I had taken a small amount of cannabis 2 hours before the incident and had been smoking the night before too, but I certainly didn't feel under the effect of cannabis, and as a regular user, it takes a lot for me to feel the effects.
I was stopped at 11 AM, giving my friend a lift home, while driving through a part of town with a bad reputation (which is where they live). The police saw me and my friend as they drove towards us. The police took the same turn as we were. I was able to drop my friend off at their required destination before the police came back on themselves and pulled me over. They mentioned a strong smell of cannabis from the car (there wasn't any substance in the vehicle, nor had I been smoking in the vehicle). I must mention that I saw wearing the same clothes as I had the night before. They then swab tested me, which was positive, and then arrested me and took me to the station were I undertook a blood test. I am still awaiting the results, as of writing this.
I have never been stopped before, but this was also the first time I had given my friend a lift home to this certain location.
I feel I was only stopped because it was 2 lads (me 33, my friend 25), driving a car which isn't the fanciest (a 2001 VW golf), in an area with a bad reputation, and wearing a hooded jumper. My driving wasn't erratic in anyway, and I honestly believe that had I looked stoned, which I honestly don't think I did, (I have sensitive eyes and wear glasses which has made my eyes lazy over the last 25 years of wearing them), the police wouldn't have been close enough to see such a detail.
Any help or advice you could give would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
Sorry about the length of this thread.
 
The offence for which you are being considered is likely to be one of driving with excess drugs rather than driving whilst unfit through drugs. This means that the only requirements for charging are to establish that you were driving in a public place whilst over the prescribed limit. Impairment is not a consideration for that offence. In the event that your specimen does come back over the limit, it is very unlikely that the sequence of events leading to your arrest will be of any consequence. The evidential specimen is taken at the police station and the procedure leading to the obtaining of that specimen is more relevant. What happened at the roadside is seen preliminary process acting as an indicator or screening process to get you back to the police station in order to obtain an evidential specimen.
 
Cheers. Thanks for your help and insight. Good to have a heads up. I'm sure I'll let you know what happens. Thanks again.
 
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