Drink-Drive Limit Debate

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Department: Department for Transport
Wednesday 22nd October 2025

(1 day, 18 hours ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Moylan Portrait Lord Moylan (Con)
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My Lords, I come back to the question of drug-driving, raised by the noble Baroness, Lady Pidgeon. Nobody expects there to be available a roadside test for drug-driving that is as effective as a breathalyser for alcohol. However, given that figures from the department show that there are now more deaths from drug-driving than from drink-driving, what in particular is the department doing in terms of training or other equipment that would assist the police in roadside enforcement, which has been shown to be the most effective way of deterring this activity?

Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill Portrait Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
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There are, of course, a variety of drugs, which need to be tested in different ways. The department is very concerned about drug-driving and will look at it again in the revised road safety strategy. The noble Lord is right that detection is more difficult because of the variety of drugs, but the department is looking carefully at it because the enforcement effort has to be consistent over drugs and drink.