IPSWICH: A sister of a road crash victim has today welcomed new legislation to make drug-driving a specific offence.

In February 2009 Michelle Luetchford’s sisters, Emma and Beccy, and their friend Kate Wasyluk, were hit when a car mounted the pavement. Emma and Kate died at the scene, while Beccy was seriously injured.

The driver of the car, Scott Nicholls, was jailed for eight years after admitting causing the deaths by dangerous driving. It was also found that he was “high on drink and drugs”.

In the Queen’s Speech yesterday, new legislation was proposed which means it will automatically be an offence to drive a motor vehicle if you have certain controlled drugs in your body in excess of specified limits.

This will make it much easier for police to take action against drug-drivers. Until now police have had to demonstrate that driving had been impaired by drugs to prosecute.

Ms Luetchford, who began volunteering for road safety charity Brake in November 2009, said: “It is a giant step forward to get that as a law, because I think it is quite hard for the police to prosecute drug-drivers.

“Every time things like this come up, it makes us think about the accident again. The whole reason we got involved with Brake was to help with these issues.”

Devices to screen for drugs in the body are expected to receive approval from the Home Office by the end of the year.

n What do you think about the proposed legislation? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.