NEW: Can Gardai Drug Test You Without Suspicion? Yes...

Random Drug Testing by Gardai: When You Can Be Tested

Q. “If you don’t smell of weed and don’t show any signs of being high, can they just randomly drug test you without any indication or suspicion of being intoxicated? For example: speeding?”

A. Yes. At some checkpoints (Mandatory Intoxilyser Checkpoints) they can test any motorist for drugs or alcohol even if they have no suspicion that they are impaired in any way or smell of cannabis or alcohol.

These specific checkpoints don’t require impairment to be a factor in order to be tested and arrested.

"It’s worth repeating: the law allows the Gardai

to test you if you have broken the law in any way.

So if you speed you can expected to be tested"

Gardai can also test you for drugs or alcohol -again without any suspicion of impairment from either substance- if you break the law in any way while driving.

So if you run a red light, don’t have a tax or NCT disc displayed you may be subjected to a alcohol or drugs test.

If you are involved in an accident you will certainly be subjected to a test.

As for speeding, it is probably the single biggest reason why young men are arrested for drug driving.

It’s worth repeating: the law allows the Gardai to test you if you have broken the law in any way. So if you speed you can expected to be tested.

Again, impairment from alcohol or drugs or smell of cannabis is not required to justify a test: just that you broke the law in some way.