Tackling drug driving

As the Department for Transport confirms a six-fold increase in the number of people caught drug-driving, a survey by road safety charity Brake and Direct Line Insurance reveals huge numbers of drivers and passengers are still taking dangerous risks when it comes to drugs. The survey indicates that one in 14 drivers, or seven per cent admit they drive at least once a month after having taken drugs.

The incidence of drugs among drivers injured or killed in road accidents is in the range of 14-17 per cent, according to a new report published by the International Transport Forum, a transport think tank at the OECD. Cannabis and benzodiazepines top the list of drugs involved in lethal motor accidents, according to the study.

A panel of scientists and academics is being established by the UK Department for Transport (DfT) to advise on the possible implementation of rules covering drug-driving, along the lines of existing drink-driving laws. MDMA, cocaine, opiates and cannabis are seen by the DfT as the primary drugs for consideration. The experts will examine whether such a law should be introduced, with elements such as possible legal limits to be looked into. If it is decided the move is technically feasible, with regard to pu