A growing number of motorists are being caught driving under the influence of more than one drug. Of all motorists caught having taken drugs 15% had taken a combination of cocaine and cannabis. This is up from 7% a decade ago.
15% of motorists caught driving under the influence of drugs found to have taken a combination of cannabis and cocaine
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The figures from 2023 come from the National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology and form the basis of an article in Tuesday’s edition of the daily ‘De Standaard’.
In 2023 there were 12,636 cases of motorists being caught under the influence of drugs. Each year around 500,000 drug tests are carried out on drivers.
According to a report by the Federal Transport Ministry, each day an average of 36 motorists are caught driving under the influence of drugs. Nevertheless, driving under the influence of alcohol remains far more widespread than driving under the influence of drugs.
More widespread among the young
According to the report, 14% per cent of young people up to the age of 34 say they have driven under the influence of illegal drugs at least once during the past month. In 2022, the figure was 19%.
58% of cases of driving under the influence under the influence of drugs concern cannabis use, 33% cocaine and 13% amphetamines.
According to the drugs report, the combined use of drugs and alcohol is on the rise. The report also says that young people are more often under the influence of drugs than while driving.