Shocking research by the IAM Roadsmart road safety charity reveals a massive increase in drug drivers being caught on the roads. A Freedom of Information (FOI) request to all 45 police forces discovered that half of those suspected of drug driving failed roadside tests when stopped by police: 51% of those stopped in 2023 and 49% of those stopped in the first half of 2024.
A total of 31 forces responded to the FOI request, that revealed the figures spiked during the Christmas period and in the summer festival season.
Police Scotland recorded the most failed tests in December 2023 and January 2024, with a total of 526 offenders, followed by Greater Manchester Police with 397 and Surrey Police with 368. Drugs found include both illegal substances like cocaine, cannabis and LSD, as well as prescription drugs such as benzodiazepines and morphine, which impair driving.
IAM RoadSmart policy manager William Porter said: “The fact that one in two motorists are failing roadside drug tests shows that the message about the dangers of drug driving is not getting through. We urgently need a new approach to combat drug driving which focuses on both greater enforcement and establishing rehabilitation courses to reduce reoffending.”