Drivers could soon be forced to take new roadside testing for drug and alcohol offences after receiving support from various MPs.
It comes after Conservative MP Andrew Snowden called for the nationwide implementation of roadside saliva testing to accelerate the process of removing drug-drivers from UK roads.
The former Lancashire police and crime commissioner made his suggestion during a Commons session, arguing that new saliva-testing technology could boost the number of drug-driving charges.
Snowden stated that targeting both drink and drug-drivers remains “a key plank of being able to improve road safety”.
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Conservative MP called for roadside saliva testing for drug and alcohol GETTYThe proposal comes as authorities seek more efficient methods to process drug-driving cases, which currently take months to reach charging decisions compared to weeks for drink-driving offences.
Department for Transport figures revealed a troubling rise in drug-driving fatalities on British roads. The number of people killed in crashes involving drug-impaired drivers has more than doubled, increasing from 55 deaths in 2014 to a record high of 134 in 2023.
This significant increase highlights the growing concern over drug-driving’s impact on road safety across the UK.
During the Commons session, Snowden highlighted D-Tech International, a Fylde-based company that supplies drug swipe kits to all 43 police forces in the UK.
He noted that D-Tech International aims to implement technology already used in other European countries to enhance charge rates through roadside saliva testing.
Snowden said: “Would the minister be willing to meet with myself and D-Tech International to look at how this technology could improve the speed at which we can get drug-drivers banned and off our roads?”
Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood responded to Snowden’s proposal by highlighting that drug-impaired drivers were involved in 13 per cent of road fatalities last year.
Greenwood shared her recent first-hand experience with roads policing, stating: “Just before Christmas I went out with Jo Shiner, who is one of the leading police officers responsible for roads policing, and saw for myself the work that can happen. I’d be very happy to meet with him to discuss this further.”
Official figures from the DVLA revealed alarming statistics about repeat drug-driving offenders in Britain.In the 11 years leading to July 2024, 33,020 drivers were convicted of drug-driving multiple times.
Even more concerning, 3,431 of these offenders were caught on four or more occasions. Currently, drink-driving offenders may be offered an opportunity to reduce their driving ban by participating in rehabilitation courses.
These programmes run for 16 hours, typically spread over three days within a three-week period.
The courses are specifically designed to modify participants’ behaviour and prevent them from reoffending.
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Calls for police to conduct roadside saliva drink driving tests could help prevent fatalities
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Under UK law, if found guilty of drunk driving, motorists can be punished with three months’ imprisonment, receive a £2,500 fine as well as a possible driving ban.