UK drug‑driving offences overtake drink‑driving as epidemic grows

New data from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency show that 30,707 drug‑driving endorsements were added to licences in 2025, surpassing the 29,981 drink‑driving endorsements recorded for the same period. The figure represents a 28 % rise in drug‑driving offences since 2022, while drink‑driving endorsements fell 17 % over the same three‑year span.

Young drivers are disproportionately involved: motorists aged 17‑24 accounted for 18 % of all drug‑driving endorsements despite making up only 6 % of licence holders. Fatalities linked to drug‑driving have risen sharply, with 149 deaths recorded in 2023 compared with 78 in 2015, and 74 deaths in 2024 where drugs were a contributory factor. The Department for Transport called the trend “deeply concerning,” and road‑safety charity IAM RoadSmart urged radical action, including giving police powers to suspend licences immediately after a failed roadside drug test and establishing a national drug‑driving rehabilitation programme.