Review of drug driving situation in Hong Kong : focus on drugs other than specified illicit drugs

Abstract

In 2011, the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap. 374) was amended to combat the relatively common phenomenon of drug-driving cases, including the specified illicit drugs and drugs other than the former type. Since then, the reported cases of drug driving have decreased gradually. However, the government fails to provide a concrete guideline on driving under the influence of drugs other than specified illicit drugs. The public‘s attention is usually drawn to specified illicit drugs, and instead, the media and citizens are less concerned about drugs other than specified illicit drugs, which may also influence the capacity of drivers to drive vehicles. On the other side of the world, some European countries have implemented legislation to stipulate the threshold of drugs other than specified illicit drugs for drivers to follow when driving. Though the figures of persons violating the law have increased since the law‘s implementation, this may reflect the existing hidden cases in the community. As a result, it may be a suitable time for us to consider whether the threshold model could be feasibly set up in Hong Kong. Our thesis is as such focusing on drugs other than specified drugs, so as to provide an evaluation report for the government and/or interested parties to assess and understand the current situation and public perception of drivers driving under the influence of drugs other than specified illicit drugs. This paper will mainly evaluate the deterrent effect and the public perception of drivers driving under the influence of drugs other than specified illicit drugs. Opinions on the topic will be collected via in-depth semi-structured interviews with various stakeholders, including police officers, medical professionals, motor vehicle representatives, drivers, etc. In addition, general public views will be consolidated through conducting surveys on 100 members of the public. Afterwards, comparison and analysis will be conducted. In sum, the general public agreed that the current legislation poses a sufficient deterrent effect on drivers driving under the influence of drugs other than specified illicit drugs. However, the public perception and understanding of the issues are not strong enough. Apparently, the government is to take a proactive approach in the promotion of and education on the issue in order to awake and boost public awareness on the issue, in order to further prevent cases of drivers driving under the influence of drugs other than specified illicit drugs.