Local Priorities Drink/Drug driving Message

I wanted to provide you with an update regarding Drink/Drug driving, which people around your area have highlighted as an issue of concern on the priority survey.

Through a dedicated commitment of policing the roads of Whitstable, your local officers take pride in ensuring road safety is sustained for the community. As such, on Thursday 23rd July 2026, officers stopped a male following witnessing him driving. Using diligence, the officers identified the male to be drink driving and using a Motability vehicle inappropriately. As such the male was arrested, with the vehicles being seized and sent back to Motability.

Drugs and driving: the law

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 illegal drugs in your blood (even if they have not affected your driving)

Legal drugs are prescription or over-the-counter medicines. If you’re taking them and not sure if you should drive, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or healthcare professional.

The police can stop you and make you do a ‘field impairment assessment’ if they think you’re on drugs. This is a series of tests, for example asking you to walk in a straight line. They can also use a roadside drug kit to screen for cannabis and cocaine.

If they think you’re unfit to drive because of taking drugs, you’ll be arrested and will have to take a blood or urine test at a police station.

You could be charged with a crime if the test shows you’ve taken drugs.

Prescription medicines

It’s illegal in England, Scotland and Wales to drive with legal drugs in your body if it impairs your driving.

It’s an offence to drive if you have over the specified limits of certain drugs in your blood and you have not been prescribed them.

Talk to your doctor about whether you should drive if you’ve been prescribed any of the following drugs:

• amphetamine, for example dexamphetamine or selegiline

• clonazepam

• diazepam

• flunitrazepam

• lorazepam

• methadone

• morphine or opiate and opioid-based drugs, for example codeine, tramadol or fentanyl

• oxazepam

• temazepam

If you ever experience this issue or have information regarding an incident, please report it using our online reporting tools at https://www.kent.police.uk, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat or call the non-emergency number 101.

Alternatively, you can stay 100 per cent anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.

Get Involved

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