The Government Department for Transport is setting up an expert panel to look into the possibility of introducing a new offence of driving under the influence of an illegal drug.
The news has been welcomed by the charity Brake, and by car insurance website Confused.com, who carried out their own study into this hidden danger last summer.
The Confused.com study found that 70% of drivers think that not enough is being done to combat this problem, and 71% would like to see the government doing more about it. The age group most likely to drive while on drugs is 25-34 year olds, amongst whom 8% admitted to having done it. 37% of drivers feel that drug drivers are less likely to get caught than drink drivers, and 25% think that drug driving is widespread on UK roads.
Currently the penalties for driving under the influence of drugs are the same as they are for drink driving. These include a minimum 12 month ban, a criminal record, and a fine of up to £5000.
