Defective taillight
A man was stopped because one of his taillights was defective. This happened Wednesday morning around 04:50 on the N245 near Alkmaar. What started as a routine traffic check led to a positive drug test for amphetamine/methamphetamine. The driver was not allowed to continue.

Activated fog light
A few hours earlier, Tuesday evening at 23:50, officers checked a motorist on Jan Mostaertlaan in Heerhugowaard due to an activated fog light. During the check, suspicion of drug use arose. The saliva test confirmed the man was under the influence of cannabis.

Noticeable driving behavior
That same day, Tuesday at 10:32, the police received reports from other road users about noticeable driving behavior on the A7 near Zuidoostbeemster. Officers stopped the driver in question. Here too, the drug test showed the man was under the influence of cannabis.

In all three cases, blood was drawn. Besides these three, another 17 drivers were caught within 24 hours in the Noord-Holland unit.

Drugs last longer than expected
The police check day and night for alcohol and drugs in traffic. This is no coincidence. Driving under the influence significantly increases the risk of serious accidents. Reaction time decreases, concentration worsens, and drivers often overestimate their own abilities. A persistent misconception is that drug use “wears off by the next day.” That is not true. Those who smoke cannabis in the evening can still be under the influence the next morning and thus drive illegally. Drugs remain in the body longer than many people think.

Getting home safely is no coincidence
Driving under the influence is not a personal choice without consequences. You put other road users and yourself directly in danger. The police continue intensive checks. Getting home safely is not luck; it is a shared responsibility.