Drug drivers reoffend at an alarming rate thanks to ‘broken’ system
In 2024 there were almost 3,200 cases of drug driving reoffending and over 20,000 cases overall
Almost half of drug-driving offences are committed by a reoffender. That’s the current state of affairs as new data also suggests reoffending by those driving under the influence of drugs has gone up by a quarter in the last three years.
A Freedom of Information request submitted by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart revealed that in 2024 there were 3,193 cases of drug-driving reoffending in England and Wales. Such a figure is roughly 25 per cent greater than the 2,554 instances that occurred in 2021. It’s also 134 per cent more than in 2020, but of course there were fewer people out driving back then due to the COVID-19 lockdowns.
IAM RoadSmart’s public affairs manager, William Porter, suggested that the current measure to curb drug diving “hasn’t kept pace with the huge increase in reoffending. The fact that those who have tested positive to a roadside test are allowed to get back into the driving seat pending a laboratory blood test shows that the system is broken.”
Drug driving has been a problem on the rise for a long time; over 20,072 people in England and Wales were convicted for drug-driving offences in 2024 compared with around 7,700 in 2017.
Being caught drug driving will result in a minimum one-year driving ban and an unlimited fine, plus up to six months behind bars. However, as part of the recently-unveiled Road Safety Strategy, the Government says it plans to review the current penalties; fines and sentences could rise, while those suspected of doing so could potentially have their licences suspended. The Government also says it will investigate "other sources” of drug driving evidence collection, too.
However, IAM RoadSmart believes Labour should take things further, with Porter suggesting what he described as a “drug-drive rehabilitation course with better screening for drug and mental health problems and with clear pathways to treatment.”
“Drug-drivers often need support to break the pattern of reoffending by changing their mindset and habits, understanding how drugs impair driving, and the serious consequences for themselves and others,” he continued.
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