Drug driving offences have overtaken drink driving offences for the first time, according to new analysis of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency data by the road safety charity IAM RoadSmart.
The figures show that more than 30,000 drug driving endorsements were issued in 2025, marking a 28% increase since 2022. Over the same period, drink driving endorsements fell by 17% to 29,769, meaning drug driving is now more prevalent than drink driving.
The analysis also found that drivers aged between 17 and 24 accounted for almost one in five drug driving offences, despite making up a much smaller proportion of licence holders.
IAM RoadSmart said the findings reflect growing concerns about the prevalence of drug driving and warned that motorists driving while impaired by both illegal and prescription drugs continue to pose a significant road safety risk.
However, there is no significant change in the number of people taking illegal drugs, hinting that existing users have fewer qualms about driving high.
An estimated 2.9million people in England and Wales reported using illegal drugs in the past year, according to the latest Crime Survey for England and Wales.
The office for national statistics found that 8.7% of people aged 16 to 59 had used drugs in the 12 months to March 2025, equivalent to around 2.9million people. The figure was broadly unchanged compared with the previous year.
Around 1.1 million people, or 3.3% of those aged 16 to 59 said they had used a Class A drug during the same period, again showing no notable difference.
The police can only test for cocaine and marijuana on the roadside, meaning hallucinogens and nitrous oxide go largely undetected, though general use of these drugs declined notably. Among adults aged 16 to 59 Nox use fell from 0.9% to 0.5%. Hallucinogens like magic mushrooms also fell from 2.9% to 1.5% among the same age group.
IAM RoadSmart has called for further action to tackle drug driving, including measures aimed at reducing reoffending and improving rehabilitation for offenders.
Drug use remained most common among younger adults. Around 15.1% of people aged 16 to 24 reported using a drug in the previous 12 months. While this was unchanged from the year ending March 2024, it continues a long-term decline from a peak of 31.8% recorded in 1997.
Featured image credit: Jean Luc (Jarrick) via Pixabay
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