The UK’s top roads policing officer, Chief Constable Jo Shiner, has publicly announced her support for stricter punishments for dangerous drivers, stating that drink and drug drivers who kill should be dealt with on a par with murderers.

Chief Constable Jo Shiner, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for roads policing, told journalists this week:

“If someone takes the decision to get behind the wheel of a car when they have taken drink or drugs and would know what impact that would have on their driving, why would you not expect them to face the full consequences?’ she said.

“I liken it to some of the homicide investigations, to some of the sentences that we get for murders.

“I actually do believe that if someone makes that decision to get behind the wheel, under the influence of drink or drugs, that is a conscious decision they have made… to put others at risk.”

Chief Constable Shiner also called for roadside drug testing, which would allow for instant driving bans. At present, officers must wait months for test results to come back.

She added: “The ability for us to be able to disqualify people either for drink or drug-driving by the roadside would mean that we can immediately take that risk off the road.

“And those people haven’t got the ability to be behind the wheel, particularly if they’ve blown well over the legal limit.”

Her comments came after the release of the national Christmas drink and drug drive operation results, which revealed a 28 per cent increase in arrests of intoxicated drivers – from 5,186 in 2021 to 6,616 in 2023. Officers carried out 6,846 drug tests, with 48.5 per cent testing positive.

Her comments echo the calls of the Fix Our Broken Justice System campaign, launched by RoadPeace with the support of four bereaved families last year. The campaign is calling for urgent changes to the law, including:

• Longer sentences for dangerous drivers
• Greater use of lifetime driving bans
• Immediate suspension of driving licences after fatal crashes
• Tightening the conditions for exceptional hardship
• Victims’ rights to be put first, rather than offenders’

Sign up to show your support for the #FixOurBrokenJusticeSystem campaign here

Updated on: 23 February 2024