A new study in France has shown a widespread ignorance among young people that driving under the influence of cannabis is a serious offence, attracting a maximum prison term of two years and fines up to 4,500 Euros for each conviction, under a law introduced in 2003.

Published by the Observatoire Français des Drogues et des Toxicomanies (www.OFDT.fr), the report showed that cannabis smokers were twice as likely to be involved in a road accident as a drug-free driver. The government’s reaction has been to consider moves to make cannabis easier to detect, by introducing roadside saliva tests.

However alcohol remains the largest single contribution to fatal traffic accidents. The same study concluded that drivers over the 0.5 g/litre alcohol limit were eight times more likely to be involved in accidental road deaths than people who do not drink and drive, while cannabis smokers were twice as likely to be responsible in whole or part for fatal accidents. The report was based on a compulsory survey of 10,748 French drivers involved in fatalities at the wheel.