Drug driving message hammered home to young men

The problem has been raised by Warwickshire County Council in light of figures showing 16 out of 43 people tested at road accidents in Warwickshire since the start of March failed the test - 12 tested positive for cannabis and four for cocaine, while two of the 16 tested positive for both.

A spokesman said: “These 16 collisions may have been avoided if the drivers weren’t high behind the wheel.

“Tragically, up to a quarter of those killed in crashes in the UK have illegal or prescribed drugs in their bloodstream.

“Drug drivers can suffer from blurred vision, erratic and aggressive behaviour, nausea, hallucinations, panic attacks, paranoia, tremors (or ‘the shakes’) dizziness and fatigue.

“Taking drugs impairs concentration, reactions and how your perceive what’s going on around you.

“If you’re caught drug driving you face an unlimited fine, a driving ban, or imprisonment.

“Worse still, you could cause a serious crash, injuring yourself, your friends, and other road users.

“Getting caught will impact your life beyond lack of mobility, and increased car insurance costs, you could lose your job and will have an endorsement on your driver’s licence for up to 11 years.”