New laws proposed for convicted drug-drivers

People caught driving under the influence of drugs will be forced to undertake rehabilitation courses before being allowed back behind the wheel, under proposed law changes.

The Department forTransport (DfT) said there were more than 12,000 convictions for drug-driving in Britain in 2019, with 44% committed by repeat offenders.

Those convicted of drugdriving are handed driving bans, prison sentences or fine by the courts, but are not currently required to complete rehabilitation courses such as those offered to drink-drivers.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "Drink-driving is now rightly seen as a social taboo by mos tofus in thiswe have worked hard to drive down drink-drive related deaths.

"But if we are to make our roads safer still, there is no room to be lax on drug-driving, which is why I have launched this call for evidence.

"It's only right that drugdrivers must undergo rehabilitation before getting back behind the wheel.”

RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: "We welcome proposals to offer drug-driving offenders rehabilitation courses, in the same way those caught drink-driving are offered them.

"The evidence shows this helps to reduce reoffending and improves road safety."

Non-attendees of drinkdriving rehabilitation classes are more than twice as likely to reoffend within three years, according to the DfT.

In the UK, it is an offence to drive impaired by drugs – with a ‘risk-based’ approach to specific drugs associated with medical use, meaning it can be legal to drive after taking them if they were prescribed.