The fight to stop drug driving
1500 offences since 2014
DRUG and drink driving are the most significant factors in deaths and serious injuries on Victorian roads, with 41 per cent of motorcyclists killed in the past five years found to have had drugs in their system.
New Victoria Police data shows drugdriving offences are continuing to outpace drink-driving offences across the region.
Since 2014, 1500 drug-driving offences have been recorded across the Geelong police service area.
Data shows 221 offences were recorded in 2021 and further 91 were recorded in the first half to of this year.
According to TAC-backed research, drug driving is particularly dangerous when people take multiple drugs, which can lead to extreme and varied effects such a dramatically slowed reaction times, visual distortion, inability to judge speeds and distances, and risk taking.
A recent study by the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) looked at the impacts of the TAC funding Victoria Police to increase testing from 42,000 tests per year to 100,000 tests.
The increased testing was estimated to have prevented more than 33 fatal crashes and nearly 80 serious injury crashes per year.
Road safety minister Ben Carroll said drug driving remained one of the most “pressing road safety issues in Victoria” and was now responsible for more deaths on Victorian roads than drink driving.
“We make no apologies for having some of the toughest drug driving laws in Australia,” Mr Carroll said.
“The best way to prevent hurting or killing someone, or losing your licence, is to avoid driving if you’re under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
Geelong Highway Patrol Senior Sergeant Craig Stevens said his team conducted more than 4000 drug tests a year and were increasingly concerned by the prevalence of drugaffected drivers on the roads.
He said the drug-driving statistics did not include repeat offenders, who were ineligible for infringements and instead prosecuted through the court.
“We are finding a lot of repeat offenders at the moment where they are getting into their second and third detections of drug driving,” Sergeant Stevens said.
“That’s really concerning … because they haven’t changed their behaviour and are still driving-impaired.”
He said drug and alcohol-affected drivers were a “huge risk” to the community” because their reaction times were slowed and often had a lesser ability
“The message is don’t – don’t mix drugs and driving,” he said.
“So many people are vulnerable road users and it’s really selfish act to use drugs and jump behind the wheel of a vehicle.
“You are putting so many other people at risk,” he said.
“Drug driving is becoming more and more prevalent and it’s a real concern and we are going keep on testing and taking people to court.”
TACs head of road safety Samantha Cockfield said TACs social research showed that one in four Victorians who use drugs admit to driving under the influence of recreational drugs.”
“Drug driving and riding has clearly become one of the major factors in road deaths and is why we’ve worked with police to increase the number of drug tests each year from 42,000 in 2014 to 150,000 in 2020-21,” she said.
“A TAC-funded report this year showed that boosting the number of drug tests was estimated to have saved more than 33 fatal crashes and nearly 80 serious injury crashes per year.
“Drugs can stay in your system for longer than you think, and their effects can vary with each use.
“While you may no longer feel the effect of the drug, or feel impaired, the drug may still be present in your system.”