What’s wrong with driving when you have alcohol or drugs in your system?
Alcohol and drugs impair a person’s driving skills. A person under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs is unable to make the correct judgements and decisions required to safely drive their vehicle on the road. This in turn increases the risk of a crash.
Studies show that driving with a Blood Alcohol Concentration of 0.08% increases the chance of having a crash by seven times.
How serious is the problem of drink/drug driving in Western Australia? Drink/drug driving is one of the main contributing causes of fatal and serious crashes in Western Australia. In fact, one third of fatal crashes are attributed to alcohol.
Through the media I’ve heard the phrase, “Drinking kills driving skills”. But how does alcohol affect a person? Drinking alcohol can:
• Reduce your field of vision.
• Delay reaction times.
• Decrease co-ordination and decision making skills.
• Make it difficult to gauge speed and distance.
• Make a person feel drowsy.
• Increase risk-taking behaviours.
I heard that you can be randomly tested for drugs. Is this true? Yes. The police are allowed to request a saliva sample to test for the presence of illicit drugs. Police are also allowed to stop a driver and conduct a driver assessment if they suspect the driver is driving while impaired by drugs. You are required to participate in one of these tests if requested by a Police Officer. If you refuse, penalties for refusal will apply.
What drugs will they test for? The saliva tests will test for the presence of THC (the active ingredient in cannabis), methylamphetamines (Speed or Ice) and MDMA (Ecstasy).
I use medicinal drugs. Am I still okay to drive? Medicinal drugs can cause drowsiness or other side effects. It is vitally important that you read and heed the advice of any warning labels or medical advice located on the medicine bottle or packet.
Anaesthetic from day surgery can also affect driving. Always arrange to be collected from hospital.
What options do I have if I have been drinking?
If you intend to drink, plan not to drive. There are many alternatives to driving home, such as:
• Stay somewhere overnight.
• Organise a trustworthy skipper/designated driver.
• Call a taxi.
• Call a family member or close friend to pick you up.
• Take public transport.
Remember, your safety is paramount. Never get into a vehicle with a driver who has been drinking or has used drugs.