Huge jump in drug-drive deaths

Between 2022 and 2023, drivers killed under the influence of drugs increased from 96 to 144 – the highest for five years. Edmund King, director of the AA Trust, said: “Traditionally our safety message to drivers has always been: if you are going to drive, don’t drink and if you are going to drink, don’t drive. But now it is essential to update that messaging to include drugs. A startling 50% increase in drivers killed under the influence of drugs is extremely worrying. We don’t want drivers to be in any doubt – drink, drugs and driving do not mix. The police now have effective ways to test drivers for the presence of drugs at the roadside, but these figures show that too many drivers are dicing with drugs and death.”

Police now commonly use drug wipes known as ‘drugalysers’ at the roadside to check for cannabis and cocaine. The testing kit uses a mouth swab to check for the presence of drugs and a blue line appears if the person has taken them.

Chief constable Jo Shiner, of the National Police Chiefs Council, warned last year that there was a “social acceptance” of drug-driving, particularly among younger people.

Shiner has since admitted the increase in drug-driving is now her biggest concern. She said: “It worries me how many young people are using recreational drugs without realising how long they stay in their system and what the impact on their driving is.”

Under the penalties for driving while impaired by drugs, convicted drivers can receive a criminal record, a maximum penalty of six months in prison, an unlimited fine and an automatic driving ban of at least one year (three years if they have been convicted twice in 10 years).

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