Motorists back higher penalties for drug-driving
Almost a third of motorists believe penalties should be higher for drug-driving than for drink-driving, according to new research.
September’s Startline Used Car Tracker found that 29% of drivers back higher penalties for drug-driving, with 34% calling for more education about the dangers of drug-driving.
Meanwhile, 28% said they have seen on-road behaviour they believe is due to the influence of drugs, with 20% now more worried about drug driving than drink driving.
Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “We added this question to our research after statistics were released showing licence endorsements for those caught drug-driving have exceeded drink-driving for the first time. We wanted to gain an insight into motorists’ thoughts on this development.
“Our findings show a significant minority have strong feelings about drug use and driving, with around a third saying penalties should be higher than for drink driving and that more education is needed to explain the dangers. It’s also notable that one in six say they know people who use drugs and drive, which seems to us like a worrying high proportion. It suggests there is a section of the population for whom drug-driving has become normalised.”
He added: “There are a whole range of prescription and over-the-counter medicines that should be avoided while driving and the fact that only one in four people know about this is a worry. Many could pose a major risk on the road without realising the danger they represent. We plan to ask more questions about this in future research.”
