Eleven motorists caught driving under influence of drugs in 11 days

Eleven people driving under the influence of drugs were booked in the last 11 days, police said on Saturday and warned drivers that substance use reduces reflexes.

Between March 31 and April 10, police identified 11 drivers who tested positive in an initial narcotest during routine traffic checks.

Among them was a 22-year-old man driving in Nicosia on Friday with 25 grammes of cannabis in his car. The young man was arrested, charged and released, police said.

Another man, 29, was found speeding in Nicosia to Limassol motorway near Kornos on March 31. He was driving at 142 km per hour instead of the maximum speed limit of 100 km per hour, without a driving licence or insurance.

Also part of the recent bookings were two motorists in Larnaca and one in Limassol who were driving without insurance, police added.

Substances such as drugs and alcohol have been shown to “reduce the mental and psychological effort expended while driving and to reduce the performance and skills of the driver, thus increasing the risk of causing a collision,” the announcement said.