A new preliminary roadside drug driving testing device, which can test for a greater range of drugs at the roadside will be operational from 1 December by An Garda Síochána. The new Securetec® Drugwipe 6s roadside drug testing device, which has been introduced by the Medical Bureau of Road Safety (MBRS) and rolled out to Gardaí across the country, works like an antigen test. It is more portable, faster at delivering results and can not only test for Cannabis, Cocaine, Benzodiazepines and Opiates, this device can, unlike its predecessor, test for Amphetamine and Methamphetamine.

Find out the answers to the most common questions about Preliminary Drug Testing.
1. What drugs can the Gardaí test for?
The new oral fluid preliminary drug test, which can be conducted at the roadside or in a Garda station, can test for Cannabis, Cocaine, Opiates Benzodiazepines and Amphetamines (including Methamphetamine and MDMA).

2. What drugs can the Medical Bureau for Road Safety Test for?
Where an evidentiary blood or urine specimen is taken, the Medical Bureau for Road Safety will test the specimen for drugs including, but not limited to, the following: Cannabis, Benzodiazepines, Opiates, Methadone, Amphetamines (including Methamphetamine, MDA and MDMA) and Cocaine.

3. Why is driving on drugs considered dangerous?
Driving is a complex task and drugs can impair how we function. This impairment can interfere with a drivers ability to control a motor vehicle to the extent that they can become a danger to themselves and other road users.

4. I thought the Gardaí could already test for drugs?
The Gardaí, with the assistance of the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, have been testing Irish drivers for drugs since 1999. The Gardaí have the power to conduct preliminary drug tests at the roadside or in Garda stations under the RTA 2016.

5. How will the Gardaí test for these drugs?
The Gardaí will use preliminary drug testing devices at the roadside or in Garda station to test a person’s oral fluid for Cannabis, Cocaine, Opiates, Benzodiazepines and Amphetamines (including Methamphetamine and MDMA). If positive, a blood specimen can be taken which will be sent to the MBRS for evidential testing. If the Garda forms the opinion that you are impaired and you have not had a preliminary drug test or the results of that test were negative, then they can request either a blood or urine specimen which will be sent to the Medical Bureau of Road Safety for testing.

6. What system is used for oral fluid drug testing and what checks are included to make sure it works properly?
Between April 2017 and November 2022 the Drager® Drugtest 5000, and this was checked by the Medical Bureau of Road safety every 6 months to make sure that it was working correctly. The Drugtest 5000 did a self-test every time it is switched on, which checked that the system was working correctly. The system also required a quality control test to be performed by a member of An Garda Síochána every 28 days. That involved inserting a positive cartridge and a negative cartridge, and the system checked that the correct results were achieved. Where this was not the case the system could not be used. A new test, the Securetec® Drugwipe 6s cassette was introduced on 1st of December 2022. This system does not require an analyser and works like an antigen test. The results can be read visually. Control lines are included on this test to make sure it has been performed correctly.

[For all the FAQs see the attached document]