Drugs found in a third of drivers who died in crashes

A third of drivers who died in crashes had taken drugs, a five-year study reveals.

The study, by police and Environmental Science and Research, looked at 1046 drivers who died on the roads between 2004 and 2009.

Of those, about 13 per cent had only alcohol in their bloodstream. But that compared to 35 per cent of the dead drivers who tested positive for cannabis or other drugs.

Slightly more than half of the drivers did not test positive for alcohol or drugs.

The study also showed that 2 per cent of the drivers had blood alcohol levels between 50mg per 100ml of blood and 80mg per 100ml – the controversial window below the legal limit that the Government has been considering closing. However, half of those in that category had also been using another drug.

Rachael Ford, co-ordinator of the Campaign Against Drugs on Roads, said cracking down on drugs was more important than reducing the blood-alcohol limit. "Cannabis messes up youth drivers and doubles any drunk's crash risk," she said. "The introduction of random drug tests has slashed Victoria's toll by 10 per cent since 2004."

In total, 500 drivers from the study tested positive for alcohol or drugs.

Of those, 135 showed only the presence of alcohol, 96 showed only cannabis, 142 showed both alcohol and cannabis and 127 showed a different combination of drugs.

Nearly half of the dead drivers aged under 25 tested positive for cannabis.