Drug driving lawyers

There is a zero-tolerance approach in Scotland to driving whilst under the influence of illegal drugs. It is a criminal offence to drive whilst under the influence of illegal drugs. If you are facing drug driving charges, then contact our drug driving lawyers immediately.

Drug driving FAQ

A: Drunk or drug driving is driving whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Drug driving law

If the police suspect you of drug driving, then they can stop you and do a roadside test. They can test you at the roadside for cannabis and cocaine using saliva from a mouth swab. They can also do a FIT (field impairment test) to check you’re fit to drive – including checking your pupils and asking you to walk in a straight line etc.

Drug testing

If you fail either test, they will take you to the station to test your blood for drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy or speed. The list of drugs that you can be prosecuted for can be found here. Our drug driving lawyers are experts on the laws of drug testing and will examine the evidence to ensure correct procedures were followed. The police can also test for other drugs, not on this list. These type of drugs stay in your system for quite some time, and it’s not possible to say how long after taking them, it is safe to drive. 

The police will take a swab from your mouth and they will test saliva to see if there are any traces of drugs present there. If there is, then you’ll be prosecuted in relation to the current legislation. There is a zero-tolerance in relation to any drug driving. We would all applaud this position as we want to keep roads safe. Following this saliva test, there will subsequently then still obtain a blood test as they normally do. You won’t have the same routine that they previously had where police officers had to have reasonable cause to suspect the presence of drug drugs.

Factors include:

  • age
  • weight
  • Hydration
  • Individual tolerance 

If you are charged with drug driving, then you must contact our team of specialist drug driving lawyers without delay.

We have a great deal of experience in defending drug driving cases and work with forensic drug experts to challenge accusations that people were impaired through drug driving.

Drug driving penalties

If you’re convicted of drug driving, then the consequences for you can be devastating: 

  • a minimum 1-year driving ban
  • between 3 and 11 penalty points
  • a fine of up to £5,000 and/or up-to 6 months in prison 
  • a criminal record 
  • Increased future insurance costs
  • Problems with future job applications 
  • Problems with future travel abroad
  • A conviction will show on your licence for 11 years 

Contact our drug driving lawyers

It is vital that you contact our specialist team of drug driving lawyers if you are facing drug driving charges. We will leave no stone unturned in the preparation of your defence case for drug driving.

If you’re stopped in relation to such an offence, get in touch with us. We will acquire to look at the background, we will acquire to look at the device used to and the whole approval process and just exactly what’s happened there to make sure that these things are done properly and that we make sure that the prosecution is tested to the highest degree. Drug driving convictions just like drink driving will be a mandatory ban, a minimum of 12 months which could be higher than that. 

A 5,000 pound fine is also possible and more still six months in prison is available to them. So a lot relies on it. There’s a lot at stake. So get in touch with us as soon as possible. We can give you a free consultation today. And we’ll come back to you with a lawyer’s opinion on how we can assist you and some advice about your case.