One in five motorists have confessed to using drugs whilst driving.

The price comparison online site Confused.com carried out the poll of 2,000 UK residents. Of this number, almost 20% admitted to using drugs whilst behind the wheel – 7% of which included illegal drugs.

Despite this number, the total amount of convictions in England and Wales of drivers using cannabis, heroin, cocaine and ecstasy in the UK has dropped by 12%, with 164 less cases reported in 2012 compared to the previous year.

This number also fell by 67 in Scotland in the same year.

Almost a third of those questioned claimed to be aware of someone who uses drugs whilst driving, with over half over of those who had been convicted admitting having been prosecuted on more than one occasion, with 20% of this number having been found guilty of the offence three or more times.

The age group most likely to commit this crime was found to be drivers aged 18-24, with a quarter of this demographic admitting the offence.

Driving groups are now calling for the laws regarding drug-driving to be altered to make it easier to catch those guilty. Currently the laws only deem it possible to prosecute when the user can be proved to be impaired due to drugs – however proving that the user is impaired can require extensive testing.

The new rules, once brought into action, will allow prosecutors to convict those guilty simply by finding the specified substance in their body – which can be found by a much simpler test – regardless of whether they are deemed to be “impaired” or not.

Drug-driving is no safer than drink-driving – even legal prescription medications should not be taken when you are planning to drive.

Safe driving from Britannia!

What are your thoughts on this article? Sound off in the comments section below!

Tim Clarke, 19, is unable to afford car insurance due to extortionate insurance fees despite driving for a living, possessing a clean driving licence and a Certificate of Professional Competence. In attempting to insure his 1.3 Suzuki Jimny he was quoted between £3,000 and £5,000 and was turned down by Direct Line due to his ‘lack of experience’.

Clarke feels that age is the sole factor being taken into account when determining the price of car insurance. He recommends that driving qualifications and skills should also be taken into account. He now has to rely on his parents and public transport and will wait another year before trying to insure his car again.

Direct Line have responded by stating that age and experience are two of the most significant factors involved in determining the price of car insurance. This is due to the fact that young drivers are involved in 25 per cent of road deaths and serious injuries. It then follows that a young person with less than a year’s experience will still be determined at a higher risk than an experienced older driver despite driving for their job.

What are your thoughts on this article? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below: