Transport Secretary Grant Shapps presented the proposal amid concerns about repeated breaches, with data from the Department of Transport showing that there were more than 12,000 convictions for driving drugs across the UK in 2019. About 44% of those convicted were relapsers. Anyone convicted of driving under the influence of drugs is punished with a driving ban, imprisonment or a fine by the courts. However, they are not currently required to complete rehabilitation courses similar to those offered to persons convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol. Image: Transport Secretary Grand Saps submits plans and launches call for evidence Mr Shapps said: “Drinking under the influence of alcohol is now rightly considered a social taboo by most of us in this country and we have worked hard to reduce the deaths associated with driving under the influence of alcohol. “But if we want to make our roads even safer, there is no room for laxity in driving drugs, which is why I am making this call for proof today. “It’s right for drug drivers to undergo rehabilitation before getting back behind the wheel, helping to protect the public from this hidden problem and permanently eliminating drug driving.” “Drug driving destroys lives” Nicholas Lyes, head of road policy at RAC, welcomed the proposals, saying driving drugs “destroys lives and threatens the safety of all road users”. According to the Ministry of Transport, those who do not attend alcohol rehabilitation classes are twice as likely to have a recurrence within three years. A call for evidence will seek views on medical cannabis to ensure road safety regulations are “up to date with changing social standards,” the Department of Transport said. If the law is passed in Westminster, it will not apply to roads in Northern Ireland. In the UK, it is an offense to drive with drug problems and it is illegal in the UK to drive certain banned drugs, such as cocaine or cannabis, into your system.
