Bus driver in Jerusalem detained for driving under the influence of drugs
The driver, a 26-year-old from East Jerusalem, was stopped for a routine check where it was discovered he had used cocaine and cannabis. Following a hearing conducted by a police officer, his license was suspended for 30 days and the bus was impounded for the same period.
A bus driver for a public transportation company was detained this week in Jerusalem on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs. A test conducted on him returned a positive result for the use of cocaine and cannabis, the police reported on Wednesday.
During a proactive operation by detectives from the Jerusalem District Traffic Division and officers from the Oz police station, the bus was stopped for inspection on Monday, August 17, 2026. The 26-year-old driver, a resident of East Jerusalem, tested positive for both substances and was subsequently detained for questioning.
At the conclusion of a hearing conducted by a police officer at the Oz station, it was decided to suspend his driver's license for 30 days. Simultaneously, the bus he was driving was prohibited from use and impounded for 30 days.
According to Israel Police data, in 2022, 2,813 reports were issued for driving under the influence of drugs. More than 50% of these were issued to Arab drivers, who make up about one-fifth of the drivers on Israel's roads. This trend persists despite the sharp increase in the use of medical cannabis in recent years.
According to the Anti-Drug Authority, about 1.5 million Israelis used cannabis in 2021. Today, these figures are expected to be even higher, partly due to the implementation of Government Decision 1587 from 2016 regarding the cannabis reform. Since then, the number of active licenses has increased by about 680%, from approximately 18,000 to 123,013 as of November 2022.
Today, there is a legal prohibition in Israel against driving with drugs or their traces in the body. However, in a survey conducted by the "Or Yarok" association, 8% of respondents admitted that they had driven under the influence of cannabis at least once. Furthermore, 19% of participants testified that they had traveled in a vehicle with a driver who was under the influence of cannabis.
An "Or Yarok" report indicates that cannabis is one of the most common drugs found in the blood of drivers involved in traffic accidents, second only to alcohol. The drug affects areas of the brain that control body movements, balance, coordination, memory, and judgment, which can impair essential driving skills by slowing reaction time and distorting perception.
