Number of drivers under the influence shoots up, also in Amsterdam
The number of drivers under the influence is also increasing in Amsterdam: in the first quarter of 2022, 637 were caught, compared to 433 a year ago.
The police do not have an exact explanation for the increase, but they do see that driving under the influence of drugs is used. Last year, for example, a total of 31,605 people were caught driving under the influence, of which just over a third had used narcotics. It is compensated by people who get in the car after taking a pill.
It has only been since 2017 that intensive checks have been carried out on drug use behind the wheel. it was not a separate criminal offence. With the availability of a saliva test it is much more likely to diagnose someone under the influence. Paul Broer, who works with the police on driving under the influence, fears that the increase will continue throughout 2022. “Drugs often have a long effect. That’s not everyone. Just because something has been used completely doesn’t mean you’ll be sober the next day. Meet all the possible consequences in traffic.”
Increasing drug use and less likely to get caught
In absolute terms, most drivers were caught intoxicated in the past four months in Rotterdam. The second place is for Amsterdam. But compared to the number of people with a driving license, Amsterdam does not score exceptionally high, namely 13.9 arrests per 10,000 driving licenses. That number is higher in 69 municipalities. Especially the provinces of Limburg and Groningen have seen very high.
According to traffic psychologist Gerard Tertoolen, the figures can be related to an increase in drugs in society. “There is a great fear of alcohol checks, everyone is concerned about that. But drug tests have now become so good that the use of narcotics is easy to trace.”
Although the police more often stop people who use laughing gas while driving, this is not yet measurable because the gas is so volatile. We are working hard on a reliable measurement method. If there is a situation that takes place, for example because there are cartridges in the car, this can lead to execution penalties.