There has been a 50% jump in drivers killed in collisions where
the driver was under the influence of drugs, according to The AA
Charitable Trust.
Between 2022 and 2023 drivers killed under the influence of drugs
increased from 96 to 144 – the highest for five years.
The figures were revealed in the House of Lords yesterday by
Transport Minister, , in response
to a question from the Lord .
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.
“We need drivers and their passengers to be well aware that drugs
and driving don't mix and when it comes to drugs or drink when
driving, the best advice is none for the road.”
Offence:
The police advise it's an offence to drive with any of 17
controlled drugs above a specified level in your blood. This
includes illegal and legally
prescribed drugs.
Limits set for each drug are different, and for illegal drugs the
limits set are extremely low. They aren't zero to rule out any
accidental exposure (e.g. from passive smoking).
Risks
The biggest risk when driving under the influence of drugs is the
risk of causing a collision or deaths.
Driving under the influence of drugs can affect driving in
numerous ways:
- ability to judge speed and distance
- reaction and coordination skills
- blurry or impaired vision
- drowsiness
- aggression
- erratic behaviour
- panic attacks and paranoia
- hallucinations
- nausea
- dizziness
- tremors
Drugs can also create a false confidence which can lead to an
increase in risk-taking behaviour, which puts lives at risk.
Penalties
Penalties for driving while impaired by drugs, means drivers can
receive:
- a criminal record
- a maximum penalty of six months in prison
- an unlimited fine
- an automatic driving ban of at least one year (three years if
you have been convicted twice in 10 years)
Other problems drug drivers may face include:
- an endorsement on driving licence for 11 years
- an increased insurance premium
- if those convicted drive for work, the employer will see
convictions driving licences
- trouble travelling to countries like the USA
Parliamentary question:
The Lord
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people were killed in
collisions where the driver was under the influence of drugs in
(1) 2019, (2) 2020, (3) 2021, (4) 2022, (5) 2023, and (6) 2024.
Answer
Answered on
16 January 2025
Data on road injury collisions are reported by police using the
STATS19 system. Police officers who attend the scene can assign
factors to a driver if they believe that they may have
contributed to the collision occurring.
The number of fatalities from collisions where the road safety
factor “affected by drugs” was assigned to the driver of a motor
vehicle for the years 2019 to 2023 are shown in the table below.
Data for 2024 will be published in September 2025.
|
Year
|
Fatalities
|
|
2019
|
90
|
|
2020
|
92
|
|
2021
|
78
|
|
2022
|
96
|
|
2023
|
144
|
There have also been questions in the Commons relating to
speeding up the process when it comes to drug driving.
https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/3301a0d6-7a25-475b-88c4-2706017ad1bf?in=09:44:20
