MORE than 60 drivers under the influence of drugs were arrested during Merseyside Police's month-long summer road safety campaign.

New laws meant for the first time motorists could be arrested if tests showed drugs were present in their blood stream.

Previously officers had to prove the person's driving ability had been adversely affected. 

A total of 231 were drug-tested with 63 arrested for either being unfit to drive or suspected to be over the specified limit for prescription drugs.

That represents a large increase on last June’s campaign when 51 impairment tests were conducted and ten drivers were held.

Merseyside now uses two types of drug-testing device which can be used at the roadside, a custody suite or in hospital. 

Both test for the presence of cannabis and cocaine - the two most commonly found drugs in drivers, and 14 other drugs.

Cannabis was the most commonly detected drug, present in 90% of those who tested positive. 

6,787 motorists were stopped and breath-tested for alcohol with 131 arrests  - an increase of seven compared to 2014.

Chief Inspector John Hogan, head of roads policing in Merseyside, said: "These results should reassure the public that we are committed to detecting those drivers that place other road-users at risk.

"It is pleasing to see a significant increase in the number of breath tests our officers have conducted and a slight drop in the percentage of drivers failing the alcohol breath test - down to 1.9% from 2.1%.

"It is a very small minority of drivers who continue to drink and drive and flout the law, often through ignorance.

"We know the use of recreational drugs has increased in recent years and we have suspected for some time that drug-use among drivers was prevalent.

"However, historically we have had to show the drugs adversely affected a person's driving ability. With the introduction of the new offence...we no longer have to prove any such effect.

"Simply being over the specified limit for a particular drug is now an offence."

Sergeant Paul Mountford from the roads policing team said: "We will continue to work hard throughout summer to detect those drivers under the influence of alcohol and drugs and have already re-stocked our drug-testing devices in readiness.

"The message to those drivers that use cannabis is simple - the limit is set very low and even a small amount of cannabis is likely to mean that they are over the legal limit.

Drivers convicted of drink and drug driving face a minimum 12 month driving ban and a fine of up to £5,000. In some cases they face imprisonment.