Families call for tougher laws on drug-driving killers

Families whose relatives have been killed by drug drivers are calling for police to be given new powers to cancel roadside licenses if they suspect a driver is over the limit.

Charlie Ward, whose father Steven was killed by a drug driver, said it was “heartbreaking” that he never walked him down the aisle.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) is seeking immediate interdict powers if a driver tests positive for saliva drugs at the roadside and further blood tests are analysed.

The government said those caught would face harsh penalties, including fines and prison terms.

Steven Ward, 62, died due to head trauma In 2024, he was struck by a car just meters from his home in Englefield Green, Surrey.

The driver, Samuel Russell, 37, from Sutton, was more than 10 times the drug drive limit and almost three times the drink drive limit.

he was He was jailed in November after admitting causing death by dangerous driving.

Miss Ward, 31, told the court it was “an accident waiting to happen” after learning Russell had used drugs and alcohol to self-medicate mental health issues and had previous convictions for drink driving.

“The man who did this was going very fast and he crossed over to the other side of the road, went onto the pavement and hit my father from behind as he was walking,” Ms Ward said.

“My mother remembers hearing a huge explosion because her house was a few doors away, then she heard ambulances and saw the helicopter.”

Ms Ward, who lives in Leamington Spa, said: “I believe police officers should be able to get a license if people test positive on the roadside.

“This will make families feel like there is immediate support out there if something like this happens to them.”

Linzi Stewart’s brother Tim Burgess also Killed by a careless driver who used excessive cocaine and alcohol in Cheshire in 2024.

The driver still had his license despite being arrested following an accident a few days earlier. He was eventually sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Ms Stewart is campaigning for a change in the law that would see dangerous drivers and those under the influence of drink or drugs have their licenses cancelled, prosecuted and fined.

“That’s what’s shocking to know that he was killed on the roads by someone who shouldn’t have been and the government needs to look at these laws,” he said.

The petition, which has 195,000 signatures, also calls for drivers who constantly drink and use drugs to be detained until they appear before a magistrate to be sentenced or referred to the royal court.

“I think we need to look at something as a deterrent, such as license cancellation on a first offense, bail conditions, possible curfew and tagging,” he added.

“People think they can just do it and get away with it.”

Government figures show 78% increase In driver deaths where drugs were present between 2014 and 2023.

Under the current system, drivers suspected of drug use may be subjected to field impairment testing, a type of roadside coordination test, to assess their fitness to drive.

They may also be asked to provide a preliminary saliva sample. If this is positive, a confirmatory blood test is required; however, this can take weeks to be analyzed in the laboratory.

Chapter President Marc Clothier of the NPCC is requesting the authority to stop someone from driving while this analysis is carried out.

“We are seeing a period of about eight weeks for most of the tests to be turned around and returned to us,” he said.

“One of the things we are pushing for is around some sort of road risk prevention notice or provisional disqualification.”

“This will allow us to remove people from the road and stop them from driving if they test positive at the roadside, while we await formal analysis and appropriate justice.”

For the past year, he has been Chief Constable of Sussex and has been leading the NPCC roads policing role. When Jo Shiner was young, her father was killed in an accident. stronger and more effective legislation “police and other agencies [revoke] It is the license of those who commit crimes more quickly.”

The Department for Transport said it was working closely with policing partners to improve efficiency while ensuring the integrity of results supporting investigations.

He said providers were currently reporting results to police within the six-month statutory period and there was no road traffic backlog in force.

David Barton, a motoring lawyer in Kent, believes the DVLA’s existing powers to sanction a driver with an existing history of drug use could be used further.

“If they have previous convictions and are re-offending, many people would say this is something the police should liaise with the DVLA,” he said.

“If they are drug addicts then the DVLA has the power to step in as the regulator and revoke the licence.”

Det., who investigates fatal and serious accidents in Kent and is a disability educator. Sergeant Chris Wade said he had seen a “significant increase” in the number of drivers using drugs.

“We’re now in a situation where cars are driving past us and they’re taking drugs behind the wheel,” he said.

“If you had told this to 19-year-old me when I attended the upcoming event, I would not have believed you.

“Attitudes around drug use have certainly not reached the same level as alcohol.”

Department of Justice data shows there were 28,179 convictions for selected DUI offenses in the year ending June 2025.

This was a 14% increase on the previous year and almost double the number of convictions of 14,889 in the year ending June 2020.

A government spokesman said: “We are determined to make our roads safer.

“Our new Road Safety Strategy, the first in over a decade, will introduce more measures to keep people safe and Our latest THINK! offer “It is a powerful warning about the dangers and consequences of drug use.”