The equivalent of over one million UK drivers have admitted driving whilst on drugs in the last year, with just over one on ten people believing that they may have been a passenger in a car with a drug driver. The new data, which came from road safety charity Brake and insurance firm Direct Line, also found that three in 10 UK passengers might not speak out to stop a friend driving on drugs. The findings have come at an opportune time, with a new law set to come into effect on March 2, 2015 that will make it an offence to drive with drugs in your body across the UK. It's hoped that the new law will make it much easier to prosecute drivers on drugs. Julie Townsend, the deputy chief executive at Brake, said: "Our message to everyone is never to underestimate the effects of illegal drugs on driving.î The findings in the survey suggest a genuinely alarming level of ignorance or complacency about the negative effects that illegal drugs can have, especially among male and young drivers. Three in 10 wouldn't speak out if a friend was going to drive on drugs, and one in 20 said that they wouldn't speak out even if their friend was clearly out of control. Young people, and particularly males, were the most likely to have been a passenger with a driver on drugs. 18 per cent of young drivers and 15 per cent of male drivers admitted to having been in a similar situation within the past year. Lucy Whitaker, a leading motoring law expert at Rothera Dawson, noted her surprise that the figures weren't actually higher, saying: 'Unfortunately taking certain drugs such as cannabis seems to be just a way of life for some people. That being said, drug-drive cases are relatively few and far between, so we need to be thinking about the number of people that are putting lives at risk and getting away with it. 'Part of the problem is the fact that, at the moment, police can only take action against drivers if they're found to be 'unfit' to drive through drugs. "However, the situation will change dramatically from 2 March 2015 when a new law comes into place that will mean it will be an offence to be over the specified limits for each drug whilst driving, as it is with drink driving. 'The new offence will work alongside the existing offence of driving whilst unfit through drugs. Substances covered by the new rules include cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine. 'The interesting thing is that the limits for illegal drugs will be extremely low _ according to the Think government website one smoke of cannabis could put you over the limit, so all of those people who admitted to drug-driving in the survey, need to think very carefully about their actions.î
