What Is The Drug Drive Limit In England And Wales?
What Is The Drug Drive Limit In England And Wales?
What Are the Drug Driving Limits?
Since the introduction of new drug driving laws in 2015, there has been some confusion about what is considered illegal and what the legal limits are. The law covers 17 specific drugs, including both illegal substances and certain prescription medications, each with its own legal limit.
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What Are The Drug Driving Limits In The UK?
In the UK, drug driving is a serious crime with equally severe penalties. It’s illegal to drive if either:
- you’re unfit to do so because you’re on legal or illegal drugs
- you have certain levels of illicit drugs in your blood (even if they have not affected your driving)
The law applies to 17 specific drugs, including illegal substances and certain prescription medications, each with an individual legal limit. These limits fall into two main categories.
1) ‘Illegal’ Drug Driving Limits
Drug driving laws in England and Wales take an essentially zero-tolerance approach to illegal drugs. However, the legal limits are set with a slight buffer to account for potential accidental exposure – although this has been debated in the case of cannabis.
The legal limits for illegal substances, listed in microgrammes per litre of blood (µg/L), are as follows:
| Illegal Substance | Legal Limit (µg/L) |
| Benzoylecgonine (the main ingredient in cocaine) | 50 |
| Cocaine | 10 |
| Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (cannabis and cannabinol) | 2 |
| Ketamine | 20 |
| Lysergic acid Diethylamide (LSD) | 1 |
| Methylamphetamine | 10 |
| MethyleneDioxyMethAmphetamine (MDMA/ ecstasy) | 10 |
| 6-Monoacetylmorphine (one of the three main ingredients in heroin) | 5 |
2) Prescription Drug Driving Limits
The prescription medications listed in the law are drugs that will impair your ability to drive if taken above specific set amounts. The legal limits for each are theoretically set above the typical dose a patient would take when prescribed the medication.
The legal limits for prescription drugs, listed in microgrammes per litre of blood (µg/L), are as follows:
| Prescription Medications | Legal Limit (µg/L) |
| Clonazepam (used to treat panic disorders) | 50 |
| Diazepam (also called Valium, used to treat anxiety, seizures, and alcohol withdrawal) | 550 |
| Flunitrazepam (also known as the “date-rape drug” Rohypnol, in its actual medical purpose used to treat insomnia) | 300 |
| Lorazepam (used to treat anxiety and sleeping problems) | 100 |
| Methadone (used to help people suffering from heroin dependence or chronic pain) | 500 |
| Morphine (used for chronic pain relief) | 80 |
| Oxazepam (used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and alcohol withdrawal) | 300 |
| Temazepam (used to treat insomnia) | 1000 |
| Amphetamines (used to treat conditions such as ADHD) | 250 |
If prescribed any of these medications, you must consult your doctor about the risks of driving while taking them. It is also wise to bring your prescription documentation with you when you drive in case the police stop you.
What If I Have A High Tolerance?
As far as the law is concerned, your tolerance to a particular drug has no bearing on whether or not you are guilty of drug driving. The law only considers the amount of the specific drug present in your bloodstream.
The size of your dose relative to the threshold level also has little bearing on whether you are guilty of drug driving or not. Many factors could have a role to play in how much of the dosage you take reaches your bloodstream or how long it will stay there. This includes:
- Your diet
- How much water you have drunk
- How much exercise you do
- Whether you are male or female
- Your physical make-up
In summary, the law will strictly enforce drug limits regardless of your personal tolerance levels. In general, if you are in any doubt at all, it is always worth playing it safe and not driving if you have taken any of the drugs listed above.
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