COMING SOON: Experts will look at the feasibility of introducing breathalyser-style roadside drug tests.

A survey of young drivers shows that one in nine young motorists has driven under the influence of drugs in the past year – but current legislation allows many offenders off the hook, say leading figures.

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Drug driving levels are rising – but awareness of the problem is not keeping pace.

And the law designed to catch those who endanger lives by getting behind the wheel while under the influence is not up to the job either, says Norwich South MP Simon Wright.

Suspected drug-drivers are currently given field impairment tests by police officers – balance and counting exercises – before a blood test taken by a doctor.

The Department for Transport has announced a government panel is to look at the possibility of introducing a hard-and-fast drug test, similar to the one used for drink-drivers.

Mr Wright praised the move, saying: “The current legislation is deficient, because impairment has to be proven on a case-by-case basis. Research shows one if five deaths on the roads could be because of drug driving. It is a considerable problem – and it is a strong and growing one.

“I hope we will see proposals drawn up that involve rigorous testing and will ultimately put drug-driving on an equal legal footing as drink-driving.” And Mr Wright said drug drivers were “undoubtedly” slipping through the net because of insufficient evidence.

“Testing must keep up with the science of drugs,” he said. “It should have been looked at before now, but the difficulty has always been one of testing – of the technology keeping pace with the drugs. We cannot continue with a system where each individual needs to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.”

The panel will advise on making drug-driving an offence in itself – removing the need for police to prove that it has impaired drivers – and whether roadside tests or clear legal limits are feasible.

Road safety charity Brake is calling for zero tolerance, after publishing figures that show 11pc of drivers aged 17 to 24 have driven on drugs in the past year, with 3pc cent admitting doing it on a monthly basis.

Just last month, 18-year-old Luke Barnes, of University Crescent, Gorleston, was sentenced to four years and three months in a young offenders’ institution after driving under the influence of cannabis. Fifteen-year-old Ryan Youngman of Gorleston was killed when Barnes crashed, with Judge Peter Jacobs saying after the case that he was “fed-up” with the rising number of young motorists driving under the influence.

Figures from Norfolk police show that 24 drivers were arrested on suspicion of being unfit through drugs in 2011, up from 19 in 2010.

Judge Jacobs welcomed the news that research would be done into finding a universal drug-impairment test, adding: “In the case of drink-driving this was solved by breath and blood tests, hence the Transport Act 1968 which replaced the old offence of ‘drunk in charge’ and walking the chalked line in the police station.

“My doctor wife worked as a medical adviser for HSE (Health and Safety Executive) for many years and was occasionally concerned that men would operate heavy machinery under the influence of cannabis, but there was no objective method of determining that fact.”

Inspector David Ball, roads policing inspector for Norfolk, echoed the concern.

“The difficulty we have in prosecuting is that we have to have a suspicion that someone is driving under the influence – then we need to call a doctor to make a judgement, and possibly take a blood test.

“Drug-driving is too easily forgotten by people – so any change in law that helps dissuade people from driving when they are not in a fit state must be a good thing,” he said.

Roadside ‘drugalysers’ – similar to the handheld breath-test units used for drink-drivers – could speed up procedures and improve detection rates, though they are expensive. He added: “It’s important to remember that this doesn’t just mean illegal drugs – someone on a prescription sleeping tablet may find their driving impaired too.”

Norfolk Coroner William Armstrong said awareness of the problem was “not nearly high enough”. He added: “In many inquests there is often evidence that a person had drugs in their system, but there is difficulty in proving how recently.

“Any expert research into improving how we deal with drug driving is to be welcomed.”

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