A CHIEF Constable has revealed the “shocking” levels of drug driving – with more than 25 arrests in a single week.

In the past year, there have been six fatal crashes involving a drug driver in Sussex.

In an attempt to combat the rising levels of drink and drug driving, Sussex Police has launched a month-long crack down with increased roadside testing.

Officers stopped more than 700 motorists across Sussex between December 1 and 8. In that time, 51 arrests were made.

More than half - 28 - of the arrests were for drug driving.

The Argus: Sussex Police Chief Constable Jo Shiner Sussex Police Chief Constable Jo Shiner

Sussex Police Chief Constable Jo Shiner said drug driving is fast becoming the biggest silent threat to public safety.

“The fact we are seeing increases in the number of people who are driving while under the influence of drugs who think that is okay is shocking in itself,” she said.

“We’ve already had 14 people die on our roads in Sussex as a result of drink and drug driving in the past year. All of those people are somebody’s loved ones.

“The rates of drug driving, the complacency towards it, the impact on families whose loved ones are killed through drug driving is truly shocking and it’s become a silent threat to public safety.

"I want to change that.”

Officers from the Surrey and Sussex Roads Policing Unit administered 342 roadside breath tests and 43 DrugWipe tests between December 1 and 8 at various locations across the county.

Nationally, the number of positive DrugsWipe tests carried out by police has tripled between 2015 and 2020, from 931 to 2,813.

During a week-long campaign in Sussex in August, 57 per cent of 52 drivers tested for drugs showed a positive result. The most common drugs tested for are cannabis and cocaine.

The Argus: Police conducting drug driving tests on the A23 near Patcham Police conducting drug driving tests on the A23 near Patcham

“Some of the other drugs are drugs people are taking medicinally where it clearly states that they should not drive,” Chief Constable Shiner added.

She also said she hopes the campaign will help make drug driving as socially unacceptable as drink driving and not wearing a seat-belt.

“Drink driving will always remain a key concern but there is now much greater awareness and challenge, and in some respects, it can be easier to spot. That’s not the same for drug driving,” she said.

“We’re only seeing it go up. In particular, the number of people who are repeat offenders.

“The misery that is caused by those people who drive particularly under the influence of drug or drink is unacceptable.”

Chief Constable Shiner, the national lead for roads policing, said anyone convicted of drug driving can expect a minimum one year driving ban, an unlimited fine, up to six months’ in prison and a criminal record.

Surrey and Sussex Roads Policing Chief Inspector Michael Hodder said the number of motorists arrested in the first week of the new campaign displays a “worrying trend”.

“Motorists tell officers that they felt ‘fine to drive’, but alcohol and drugs can stay in your system for a long time and affect your ability to drive safely,” he said.

“Our stop checks demonstrate that officers are working hard to tackle this dangerous threat to our communities and arrest those who drive while under the influence of drink or drugs.”

The Christmas crack down on drink and drug drivers campaign runs from December 1 to January 1.