Drug-driving reoffending in the UK has surged to alarming levels.

New figures suggest nearly half of offences are now committed by repeat offenders.

It is prompting urgent calls for tougher enforcement and the introduction of rehabilitation courses similar to those used for drink-drivers.

A new high

Data obtained by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart through a Freedom of Information request to the Ministry of Justice shows 3,193 instances of drug-driving reoffending were recorded in 2024.

This represents an increase of more than 134% on the 1,363 cases in 2020.

Government figures reveal that 44% of all drug-driving offences are committed by people with previous convictions, with one offender caught again despite having 18 prior drink and drug-driving convictions.

Campaigners say the scale of repeat offending highlights serious weaknesses in the current system, particularly long delays in processing blood samples, which can allow suspected drug drivers to remain on the road for months.

Testing safety

Police typically use roadside screening devices, usually saliva swabs, to test for cannabis and cocaine, the two most commonly detected drugs.

Officers may also carry out a Field Impairment Test, asking drivers to walk in a straight line or balance on one leg.

If impairment is suspected or the roadside test is positive, the driver is arrested and taken to a police station for a blood or urine sample.

However, laboratory backlogs mean results can take up to six months, during which time drivers are often free to continue driving.

In some cases, the consequences have been fatal.

Paul Wright killed Jane Hickson while he was on bail for drug-driving, having tested positive six months earlier.

Tim Burgess died after being struck by Joshua Eldred, who was also awaiting test results at the time.

Both blood samples later proved positive.

Swallowing the pill

The government has acknowledged the problems with drug driver roadside testing and lab waiting times in its new Road Safety Strategy.

It proposes giving police the power to suspend licences immediately when drivers test positive at the roadside.

IAM RoadSmart welcomed the move, citing strong public backing: a survey of more than 2,000 motorists last summer found 82% support for immediate licence suspension for suspected drug-drivers.

The charity is also urging ministers to introduce a national drug-drive rehabilitation course, similar to the long-running drink-drive scheme.

Drink-drive offenders who attend rehabilitation can reduce their ban by up to a quarter, and studies show they are up to two-and-a-half times less likely to reoffend than those who do not.

No equivalent national programme currently exists for drug drivers, although small trials are underway.

Increasing challenge

Overall, drug-driving appears to be rising sharply.

In 2024, 20,072 people in England and Wales were sentenced for drug-driving offences, a 143% increase on 2017.

Under current UK law, it’s an offence to drive with any of 17 controlled substances above specified levels in the blood, covering both illegal and prescription drugs.

The limits set out in the 2014 additions to the Road Safety Act 2014 are very low, even for medical drugs, in the name of road safety.

If caught, offenders face the same penalties as drink-driving: a minimum 12-month driving ban, a criminal record, an unlimited fine, and up to six months in prison.

Convicted drivers may also have an 11-year endorsement on their licence. 

Drug driving contributes significantly to serious and fatal crashes.

According to RoSPA, in 2022, drug impairment was a factor in 97 deaths, 926 serious injuries, and more than 1,600 slight injuries on UK roads.

Safety experts believe the rising rate of drug-related collisions demands urgent action.

Police data suggests the typical offender is male and under 35.

Around nine in ten drug-driving convictions involve men, with the highest rates among those aged 25 to 34.

Cannabis remains the most frequently detected substance, followed by cocaine, with many offenders also found to have alcohol in their system.

Changing outcomes

William Porter, IAM RoadSmart’s policy and communications manager, said delays are fuelling repeat offending.

“The fact that drivers who test positive at the roadside are allowed back behind the wheel shows the system is broken,” he said. “We want to see immediate suspension and the introduction of a drug-drive rehabilitation course with proper screening and support.”

Victims’ families say reform cannot come soon enough.

Charlie Ward, whose father Steven was killed in 2024 by a driver who was heavily over both the drug and drink limits, said: “Someone’s personal choice has devastated our family. More needs to be done to stop drug and drink drivers ruining lives.”

International examples suggest faster solutions are possible.

In Australia, police have used roadside evidential saliva testing for almost two decades, allowing cases to be processed quickly and offenders to be taken off the road immediately.

Road safety professionals warn that without similar changes in the UK, reoffending will continue to climb.