A survey by motoring mag Max Power has revealed that thousands of young drivers are risking their lives and their cheap car insurance by driving under the influence of drugs.
Boy racing hot hatch enthusiasts who responded to a questionnaire in the magazine revealed that 59% had driven after smoking marijuana and a whopping 20% do so every day. In addition, almost half often drive with passengers after taking drugs and 37% admitted to snorting cocaine before they've got behind the wheel.
Concerned at the habits of his readers, Max Power's editor, John Sootheran, said, "Driving under the influence of drugs makes drivers' confidence rocket while their skill and accuracy plummet, making any drug driver a serious hazard to themselves and other road users."
A recent edition of the popular magazine warned drivers about the dangers of taking drugs and then driving by undertaking an experiment to see how motorists' abilities were affected.
Six participants completed an off-road course under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, speed and cocaine, and the results showed that all drove fast and erratically, except for the weed smoker who slowed to dangerous speeds and started getting paranoid.
In recent years the police have made an enormous effort to clamp down on people driving under the influence of drugs. Motor insurance firms also punish those who are convicted by removing their ability to get a cheap car insurance quote, as Mike Page from Hoot Car Insurance Services, the young driver car insurance experts, explained.
He said, "The courts are coming down hard on people who think it's ok to get wasted and then take to the road, and car insurance companies are doing their bit too.
"If you are found guilty you'll see your motor insurance quote shoot right up and it could be years before you get cheap car insurance again."