Hidden drug-driving epidemic on UK’s roads uncovered as victim whose entire family was wiped out demands life sentences
A TEACHER whose family were wiped out by a driver high on crystal meth is demanding tougher sentences and increased police powers.
Summer Mace lost her mum Lisa, 49, sister Jade, 25, and stepdad Paul, 41, when Aurelijus Cielevicius ploughed into their car at 96mph last year.
The 39-year-old Lithuanian was on the wrong side of the road in a high-powered BMW X5 after taking a cocktail of narcotics including cannabis and party drug MCAT.
In October 2023, he was sentenced to ten and a half years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving while 15 times over the drug-drive limit.
Summer, 25, said: “The system is not made for the victims and it needs to change.
“That man, in my opinion, murdered my family. On what planet is a ten-year sentence acceptable?”
Sadly, the tragedy is just one of thousands as experts warn of a hidden drug-driving epidemic on Britain’s roads.
Summer is now campaigning to see life sentences regularly handed down for the most serious offences.
Police statistics show that in the ten years to 2022, nearly 20,000 people were killed or injured by drug-drivers — around 165 a month.
Figures from the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety show there were 36 deaths from drug-driving in 2013, but that had risen 156 per cent to 92 in 2022.
John Scruby, a former traffic cop in South Yorkshire, believes greater powers allowing police to spot-check drivers would help.
He said: “I have taken that long walk up a complete stranger’s drive to deliver the message that a loved one isn’t coming home.
“It’s the most traumatic job you can imagine, knowing that in the next few minutes you are going to destroy someone’s life.”
John, a trustee of Support And Care After Road Death And Injury, said officers were being “held back by red tape and political correctness”.
He added: “No one should fear being stopped and checked if they have done nothing wrong.
“Give powers to the police and courts to immediately suspend or revoke the licence of anyone caught drink or drug-driving rather than allow them to continue driving until they are caught again.
“Introduce mandatory awareness courses for offenders, as is the case with those who exceed the speed limit.”
It is 16 months since Cielevicius ploughed into Paul’s Vauxhall Mokka on the A47 near King’s Lynn in Norfolk, with such force all three occupants died at the scene in January 2023.
96 speed Cielevicius was driving when he killed Summer’s family
The killer — who was on bail for another offence — escaped the crash with just two broken ribs partly because he was so doped up his body failed to tense on impact.
And while he can expect to be freed by 2030, Summer’s ordeal is never-ending.
She said: “He was in a powerful car, on all sorts of drugs, breaking his bail, and he killed three innocents who were just driving home.
“What kind of message does it send if you can do that and be eligible for parole in seven years?
“People would be shocked if they knew how prevalent it was.”
Summer, from King’s Lynn, who now lives with her father Jason, 51, is campaigning for tougher legislation and increased police powers.
‘Destroy someone’s life’
This year she met with Attorney General Victoria Prentis after 14,000 people backed her petition for tougher action against drug-drivers.
The maximum sentence for driving above the limit is 26 weeks in jail.
Death by careless driving technically carries the possibility of life in prison, but Summer says she is unaware of any drug-driver ever receiving such a sentence.
Her calls were this week echoed by former Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill — whose son Benjamin, 39, jumped from a car being driven by a driver who was high on cocaine.
He said: “I’m hugely concerned we have this massive tsunami of societal change where it is now acceptable to drug-drive — while drink-driving is reducing — and yet sentencing for drug-driving isn’t on a par with drink-driving.
“Cocktails of Class A, B and C drugs lead to absolute lack of timing and awareness, far more than just excessive alcohol, and should attract stricter sentencing.
24% of the 6,616 arrests last year for drink and drug-driving ended in a charge
“A minimum should be a suspended sentence or imprisonment.”
Officers are now routinely deployed with testing equipment so they can check drivers for drugs in the same way they can breath-test for alcohol.
But experts say the growth in drug use has outstripped the law and tougher measures are needed.
According to data published by Operation Limit — the annual Christmas drink and drug-drive crackdown — 6,616 arrests were made for drink and drug-driving offences in 2023, of which only a quarter (1,589) were charged.
In February, the Government’s Defence And Security Accelerator team launched a competition for innovations to improve roadside testing of drug-drivers.
Underscoring the need for action, a new survey by charity IAM RoadSmart reveals that a “concerning minority” of young motorists think drug-driving is OK.
In a poll of 2,000 drivers, more than one in five 17 to 34-year-olds agreed with a statement that driving after taking class A drugs was “acceptable”.
Another survey last year revealed that 28 per cent of 16 to 24-year- olds had driven under the influence of drugs or been a drug-driver’s passenger.
Many of those caught drug-driving fail to learn their lesson.
The charity’s director of policy, Nicholas Lyes, said: “Sadly, the figures for drug-drivers show that almost half of offences are committed by a reoffender.”
The law was overhauled in 2015, setting out maximum limits for controlled drugs.
But campaigners claim police forces do not have the resources to go after drug-drivers.
156% rise in drug-driving deaths from 36 in
2013 to 92 in 2022
In 2022, a report by the Police Foundation highlighted a 40 per cent drop in traffic officers on the roads since 2000.
Road safety charity Brake says drug-driving is now a factor in more than one in 20 fatal crashes.
Campaign manager Lucy Straker said: “Driving requires full concentration. Specifically, cocaine is proven to make us feel over-confident and can create erratic behaviour.
“Research shows the risk of fatal or serious injury as a result of a crash increases by up to ten times when driving on cocaine.”
In 2022, 19,160 people were convicted of a range of drug-driving crimes, with men in their twenties the most frequent offenders.
Chief Constable Jo Shiner, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for road policing, said: “Since the introduction of roadside screening devices for drug-driving in 2015, we have seen an increase in prosecutions.
‘Erratic behaviour’
“While I’m disappointed that people choose to do such a selfish and dangerous thing, I’m pleased we continue to take offenders off our roads every day.”
But Summer believes only tougher sentencing will turn the tide of tragic deaths.
She said: “People are getting away with a slap on the wrists. There are people getting longer sentences for fraud.
“I want to see life sentences getting handed out. They need to be tougher — that’s the only way drug-drivers will be deterred.
“Cielevicius is in a Category C prison. He’ll be going to the gym every day, playing on the Xbox and having a chilled life with three meals a day.
“When I’m having a bad day I’m lucky if I summon the energy to cook at all.”
Ex-traffic cop says quicker tests needed
FORMER traffic officer John Scruby believes “faster justice is needed” when drug drivers are pulled over.
He said: “Drug driver testing needs to be urgently overhauled. When a driver is pulled over, police officers use their discretion and do not automatically do a drugs test.
“You can smell intoxicants on the majority of drink drivers, but you cannot smell drugs, with the exception of cannabis.
“If someone appears to be driving under the influence, but they do not appear to be intoxicated by drink, then the officer would do a drugs test.
“This involves taking a mouth swab and putting it into a device which currently indicates cocaine, cannabis and ‘other’.
“If it’s positive for any of the three then they are cautioned and taken into custody to be interviewed.
“A blood test will be taken by a medical professional. The blood test then gets sent off to a lab and can take weeks to come back.
“We would like to see drink and drug testing both happen automatically. Second, the system needs to be speeded up as drivers can get back on the road until blood results come back.”
- For more information see charity Support And Care After Road Death And Injury at scard.org.uk.