Local authorities in County Durham, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland worked with drug action teams on the 'Drug Driving-You'd Be Off Your Head' scheme.

The aim was to raise awareness of the penalties and consequences of driving under the influence of drugs.

The award will be presented at a regional road safety conference held at County Hall in Durham on Tuesday.

The campaign included hard-hitting radio advertisements, with genuine case studies from people whose lives had been adversely affected by drug driving, backed up by powerful images on posters and buses throughout the region.

It generated almost 3,400 online survey responses, and claimed to be the biggest self-completion survey ever undertaken in the UK.

Alan Kennedy, Durham County Council's road safety manager and chair of the regional road safety offices said: "There has been a 60% reduction in the number of young people saying they would risk drug driving in the future."

The award, for improved public education, will be handed over on Tuesday, and then formally presented by Prince Michael of Kent at a ceremony in London in December.