The issue of taking drugs and then driving is complicated by there being both illegal and medicinal drugs available.  All drugs affect the senses, some more than others, and these drugs can influence driver behaviour resulting in impaired driving ability, much the same as alcohol.

Compared to 10 years ago, six times as many drivers are killed in road accidents in the UK with some sort of illegal substance detected in their bloodstream.

Drug driving is illegal and the potential punishments are severe. Check out this page for information to help you stay safe and on the right side of the law.

How do different drugs affect your ability to drive?

Cannabis - concentration can wander and this affects reaction times; paranoia and other effects are likely to be heightened when mixed with alcohol, increasing the sense of disorientation.

Cocaine - a stimulant drug that can lead to misjudging driving speed and stopping distance; sense of light and sound affected; sense of overconfidence that can also lead to aggressive driving.

Ecstasy - another stimulant drug, this time with hallucinogenic properties that can distort vision and heighten sense of sound; concentration is affected and significantly decreases awareness of road dangers.

LSD - a hallucinogenic drug that can strongly influence the senses; drivers may react to objects and sounds that aren't there, placing themselves and other road users in danger.