A fifth of Brits admit to drug driving

Date: 2/8/2013

Worrying statistics published in a Confused.com report have indicated that one-in-five Brits have got behind the wheel of a vehicle while under the influence of drugs.

Of the 19 per cent that admitted to the offence, seven per cent were using illegal drugs and 12 per cent were taking prescription medication that could impair their driving ability.

Cannabis was found to be the most common drug motorists admitted to using when behind the wheel of their car (18 per cent), while ten per cent have taken class A drugs and driven their vehicles.

Gemma Stanbury, Head of Car Insurance at Confused.com said: "Drug driving is one of the most serious crimes a driver can commit and one that needs to be addressed to make our roads safer. Road safety should be a top priority and in order to achieve this we need to ensure that the right laws, limits and learning are in place here in the UK."

Despite the worrying number of people clearly driving while under the influence of drugs, it seems relatively few are being punished for committing the offence, as Police figures indicate just 1,132 people were caught drug driving in 2012, down 12.5 per cent from the previous year.

There is a worrying disparity between the amount of people who admit to getting behind the wheel while taking illegal drugs or prescription medication and those being caught.

Hampshire Constabulary made the most drug arrests in 2011-12 with 195, followed by South Yorkshire 155 and Merseyside with 146.

The Confused.com report also revealed that 56 per cent of those found committing the offence have been caught twice, with 21 per cent offending three times or more.

As a nation, there is a strong feeling that those caught driving under the influence of drugs should be handed harsher penalties, called for by 72 per cent of those surveyed.

In a bid to combat the problem of drug-driving, roadside 'drugalysers' have been approved for use, which analyse mouth swabs for traces of cannabis. However, there is currently no form of roadside test for other dangerous substances.

Ms Stanbury concluded: "The introduction of roadside drug testing to identify certain illegal substances is a good step in the right direction, however the ability to recognise and prosecute for all drugs is needed to really clamp down on drug-driving motorists."

Posted by Sarah Bailey

Transport Research News and Vehicle Safety News