Drug-drivers could be required to undertake rehabilitation
courses before being allowed back behind the wheel, under new
plans to address this underestimated social problem.
Drink-drive related deaths and injuries are now very rare on UK
roads, with deaths having fallen 88% between 1979 and 2015.
However, there has been an increase in drug-related driving
offences, with over 12,000 convicted in 2019 and 44% committed by
re-offenders.
713 people were seriously injured in drug-driving collisions in
2020, up from 499 in 2016, and some Police Forces are arresting
more drug drivers than drink-drivers. That’s why the Government
is taking action to protect the public and make drug-driving as
much of a “social taboo” as drink-driving.
Currently, those convicted of drug-driving are handed a driving
ban, prison sentence or fine by the courts, but aren’t required
to complete rehabilitation courses before resuming driving –
unlike drink-drivers. In a call for evidence, Government is
asking whether drug-drivers should likewise have to undergo
rehabilitation, helping better protect the public.
Transport Secretary said:
“Drink-driving is now rightly seen as a social taboo by most of
us in this country and we have worked hard to drive down
drink-drive related deaths.
“But if we are to make our roads safer still, there is no room to
be lax on drug-driving, which is why I have launched this call
for evidence today.
“It’s only right that drug-drivers must undergo rehabilitation
before getting back behind the wheel, helping protect the public
from this hidden problem and stamping out drug-driving for
good.”
Statistics show non-attendees to drink-driving rehabilitation
courses are over twice as likely to commit a new drink-driving
offence within three years, so by offering high-risk drug-driving
offenders the same support, Government hopes to bring down the
number of repeat offenders.
RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes
said: “Drug-driving ruins lives and threatens the
safety of all road users. We welcome proposals to offer
drug-driving offenders rehabilitation courses, in the same way
those caught drink-driving are offered them, because the evidence
shows this helps to reduce reoffending and improves road safety.”
Professor Kim Wolff, MBE, King's College London,
said:
“I was delighted to see the launch of the consultation on a
High-Risk Offender (HRO) Scheme for drug-drivers and the Drug
Driving Rehabilitation (DDR) course, as part of an ongoing
programme of work being undertaken by the DfT to improve road
safety.
“Data gathered over the last 6 years has enabled the DfT to
identify through an Expert Panel very high-risk drug-driving
behaviours warranting the need for a High Risk Offender Scheme,
which rolled out alongside the DDR will help improve driver
behaviours as well as provide more general societal benefits.”
The call for evidence launched today will also ask whether we
should bring the way specimens are taken in line with current
medical practice by using vacuum blood extraction, decreasing the
risk of blood borne viruses to healthcare professionals.
It will also seek views on the relationship between medicinal
cannabis and road safety, in another move to ensure road safety
policy keeps up to date with changing societal norms.
This is the first of several steps Government is taking this year
to reduce the problem of drink and drug driving. Later this year,
Government will seek views on other drink and drug driving
matters, such as failing to stop after a collision and the
criminal use of vehicles.
This follows the ongoing success of the Government’s THINK!
Campaign which has been educating drivers about the dangers of
drink-driving since 2000.
