The government is putting together an expert panel to examine the case for introducing a new offence of ‘drug driving’. The initiative, by the Department for Transport, will bring together academics and scientific experts in alcohol and drug misuse, the Home Office and Department of Health.

The panel will look at how an offence of driving with an illegal drug in your body could be defined, as well as considering whether it is possible to set levels for the impairing effects of specific drugs, including cocaine, MDMA, cannabis and opiates.

It will also examine whether impairment levels could be exceeded through prescribed or otherwise legally obtained drugs, as well as the effects of the interaction of drugs and alcohol and of different combinations of drugs.

The move follows the recommendations in the 2010 review of the drink and drug driving law by Sir Peter North.

Currently police have to prove that a driver’s actions have been impaired by the use of drugs. The new offence would remove the need for this where drugs were present beyond the lawful level.

The road safety minister, Mike Penning, said: ‘Britain has some of the safest roads in the world but we know how important it is to tackle the menace of drug driving. That is why we are putting together a panel of experts to give us advice on the technical aspects of introducing a new offence of driving with an illegal drug in your body.’