Drug driving: proposed regulations (open consultation)

This consultation seeks views on the government’s preferred policy option of making it an offence to drive if any of 17 controlled drugs are found in blood over a specified limit.

A zero tolerance approach to the limits is proposed for eight drugs most associated with illegal use. A road safety risk approach to the limits is proposed for eight drugs most associated with medical uses.

The new offence is designed to reduce the wasted time, expense and effort involved for the police and the courts when prosecutions fail because of the difficulty of proving that a driver is impaired by a particular drug.

In considering what approach to propose for each illegal drug and what limit to set, the Government has weighed up a number of factors including the evidence about the use of the drug when driving, wider drugs policy, and the findings and recommendations from its expert panel.