Drug driving testing costs more than £600 each time

Constabulary warns it's putting pressure on finances

Testing motorists to see if they've been drug driving is costing more than £600 per time.

The Isle of Man Constabulary says the legislation, which was introduced at the start of the year, is putting pressure on its finances.

Each wipe costs £14 and the off-Island testing of each sample costs upwards of £600.

In the first two months of use more than 70 drug driving cases were detected.  

The cost of drug wipe testing means the forensic science budget will likely be overspent within the first quarter of the 2022-2023 year.

Chief Constable Gary Roberts says the likely expenditure implications were pointed out when the legislation was first proposed but no extra funds were provided by government: