In some sobering news this morning, new police data for 2015 shows that illicit drugs and alcohol are bang-on par for being involved in Victorian road fatalities and serious injuries.
Last year, 32 drivers killed and 494 injured were found to have illicit drugs in their system, while 22 killed and 506 injured were under the influence of alcohol.
Police Assistant Commissioner Doug Fryer said drugs were massively overrepresented in these figures, calling them very “disturbing”, “significant”, and “shocking”.
“People might say drugs and alcohol are neck and neck, but the difference is 80 per cent of our population use alcohol and 15 per cent use illicit drugs — so that’s a serious over-representation in illicit drugs,” he said.
2013 was the first time more drivers were killed while under the influence of drugs than alcohol (39 to 24), which was also the first time amphetamines became more prevalent in drivers than marijuana.
“Historically, people thought cannabis would be more prevalent, but that is not the case,” said Fryer.
“We test about four million drivers for alcohol, for drink-driving each year, and our strike rate is one in 574. It used to be a lot worse, so people are slowly getting the message.”
“So yes, people are continuing to drink and drive, but there is an absolute disparity on what the community think is acceptable between drinking and taking drugs and driving.
“Drink-driving is not accepted by anyone — you end up being ostracised. But with a strike rate of one in 11, there’s clearly an element that consider it’s OK to use drugs and drive.”
An average of 18 drivers per day tested positive to drugs in roadside tests between November 11, 2014 and December 31, 2015. Guys we love ‘ya, so please stay safe, and don’t let your mates drink / take drugs and drive.
Source: Herald Sun.
Photo: NSW Police / Facebook.
