Bornem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In Bornem, the truck driver was arrested when his car, while he was intoxicated with cannabis, went yards deep into a ditch on Spuistraat. He was fined €1,260, and his driver’s licence was revoked for 15 days.
In Bornem on January 23, 2025, a truck driver was found to be under the influence of cannabis when his Truck ended in a ditch on Spuistraat. The driver in the incident was fined €1,260 and had his driving license cancelled for 15 days. While driving through Spuistraat, the driver crossed a prohibition sign. He then had to reverse his truck approximately 300 metres toward the bridge on his way to the restaurant’s driveway. The truck skidded off the road and ended up in a ditch, which also blocked the roadway.
Police officers at the scene could smell a strong cannabis odour from the car. The driver was high, confirmed with a saliva test that showed THC in their system. Further investigation showed that he had been in another accident in Denderhoutem only one day earlier and that the driver’s record and decision-making skills must be further investigated.
The broader context of drug use among drivers
Drug use among commercial drivers is a growing concern. Though recreational marijuana has been legalised, there is still no tolerance for commercial drivers operating vehicles while impaired. In 2022, more than 41,000 truck drivers tested positive for marijuana, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The legal implications for drivers caught under the influence are not mild — drivers can face serious fines, suspensions of their licenses and even criminal charges.
There is a need for comprehensive training programs that deal with the impact of drugs on a person’s driving skills, according to advocacy groups. The debate over whether commercial driving sectors should drug test randomly or how they should avoid probing privacy and inadvertently infringing on the rights of employers and employees continues.
Further comparative cases highlight the dangers of impaired driving. In fact, Bryan Maclean Howard was in a death bus crash in Florida when he admitted to being drunk on marijuana oil before driving it. Another driver in a school bus crash in Texas confessed to using cocaine and marijuana moments before the bus he was driving slammed into the vehicle. These incidents reinforce that drug impairment is a problem of larger proportions, for ours is a public safety issue.