Drug Driving Convictions Surpass Drink Driving in the UK

A police officer holds a rapid drug test in his hands during a traffic stop Feb. 26 in North Rhine-Westphalia, Duesseldorf. The saliva test is used to check for possible narcotics in road traffic. (Photo: Christoph Reichwein/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

Drug-driving convictions outnumbered drink-driving convictions in Britain for the first time in 2025, prompting renewed calls for tougher enforcement and public education.

New figures obtained by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart show that 30,707 drug-driving endorsements were added to drivers’ licenses last year, compared with 29,981 drink-driving endorsements. The data marks a significant shift from 2022, when drink-driving convictions exceeded drug-driving offenses by nearly 12,000 cases.

According to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, drug-driving endorsements increased 28% over the three-year period, while drink-driving endorsements fell 17%.

Young motorists accounted for a disproportionate share of the offenses. Drivers between 17 and 24 years old represented 18% of all drug-driving endorsements despite making up just 6% of licensed drivers.

The Department for Transport described the findings as “deeply concerning,” while IAM RoadSmart warned Britain is facing a “drug-driving epidemic.”

“It’s becoming clear that the UK is mired in a drug-driving epidemic, to the point where it may now be more of a threat on our streets than drink-driving,” Nicholas Lyes, the charity’s director of policy and external communications, said in a statement.

The organization is urging the government to allow police officers to suspend drivers’ licenses immediately after a failed roadside drug test instead of waiting for laboratory blood test results. It also wants the creation of a national drug-driving rehabilitation program.

Under current UK law, motorists convicted of drug-driving face a minimum one-year driving ban, an unlimited fine and up to six months in prison.

The latest Department for Transport road safety data also shows that 74 people were killed in crashes during 2024 in which a driver impaired by drugs was recorded as a contributing factor.

The government said its road safety strategy, published earlier this year, includes proposals to strengthen drug-driving enforcement by reviewing penalties and exploring faster forensic testing methods, including saliva and sweat testing.

The new figures highlight a changing landscape in impaired driving as authorities increasingly focus on the dangers posed by both illegal drugs and certain prescription medications behind the wheel.