New Laws Expected To Be Announced In Queen's Speech

Serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell who act for victims and families left devastated by the consequences of drug driving have welcomed news that new legislation is to be introduced to tackle the issue.

Expected to be announced in the Queen’s Speech, the law would mean that people found guilty of driving while under the influence of drugs could face a fine, a driving ban of a minimum of a year as well as up to six months in prison.

The new legislation, which will be backed by the introduction of screening devices, would also mean that police would no longer need to prove impairment of driving by drugs for a prosecution to be brought.

It is expected that the new testing systems will be approved by the Home Office in the near future.

Irwin Mitchell’s specialist serious injury team acts for victims seriously injured in road traffic collisions involving drug drivers, helping them to secure funds for vital rehabilitation and care services. They also represent the families of those who have been killed in such incidents.

Jane Horton, a Partner at the firm’s Leeds office who specialises in such cases, said: “Driving under the influence of drugs has been an important issue in the UK for some time and this announcement looks set to be the first positive step towards tackling this worrying issue.

“Through our work we have seen the shocking consequences that such actions can have on so many lives, leaving many victims with long-term injuries that they will never fully recover from. Because of this, it seems shocking that it has taken until now for the dangers of drug driving to be fully recognised by law.

“Drug-driving can be as dangerous as drink-driving, so we hope that any new legislation will demonstrate this fully and be proportionate to the issue.

“The ultimate aim must be to improve safety on the UK’s roads and we welcome any move that will go some way to protecting road users from harm.”