Drink and drug driving
New actions will reinforce Victoria’s tough approach to drink and drug driving, including an expansion in roadside drug testing and the routine alcohol and drug testing of all drivers involved in serious injury crashes.
Drink driving contributes to around 20 per cent to 30 per cent of driver deaths on Victoria’s roads each year. Drug driving, where one or more illicit drugs are present, is found in approximately 40 per cent of driver deaths.
The First Action Plan aims to significantly reduce the devastating personal and social costs of drink and drug driving through new public education campaigns, tougher enforcement efforts and new research into new testing devices.
| Area of action |
Actions |
| Public education |
- Undertake public awareness campaigns to:
- increase awareness of the drink driving and drug driving crash risk, even at low levels of consumption
- raise awareness of Victoria Police enforcement activities
- encourage consumer take up of personal breath testers that conform to Australian Standards
- encourage drivers to plan alternatives to driving when they are intending to consume alcohol.
- Undertake campaigns targeted at:
- vehicle manufacturers, encouraging them to include alcohol interlocks as standard features of all new vehicles
- promoting the installation of public breath testing devices that conform to Australian Standards in licensed venues
- promoting the development of OHS policies with regard to drug and alcohol consumption in the workplace or during work related activities
- addressing the drug related crash risk for at-risk groups, including heavy vehicle operators and young drivers.
- Support programs to encourage responsible service and consumption of alcohol at licensed sporting venues, hotels and clubs.
- Develop and launch drugs and driving information program and support material.
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| Enforcement |
- Increased targeted enforcement through:
- booze and drug bus activity during high risk times and at high risk locations
- a focus on licensed venue compliance with responsible service of alcohol laws
- commence use of drug testing devices by specialist units from police cars.
- Use new intelligence based policing strategies to identify licensed venues that are associated with high risk drink driving behaviour, enabling more effective booze bus operations.
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| Legislation |
- Review penalties for drink and drug driving offenders to appropriately reflect the risk to the community and ensure that penalties are aimed at, and are recognised by the community as, achieving improved road safety.
- Review the Road Safety Act and Regulations to simplify and clarify road safety laws.
- Introduce immediate licence suspension for a drink driving offence for a fully licensed driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) reading of 0.10 or higher.
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Research and data
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- Undertake research into the effects of prescription medication on road user safety.
- Investigate the safety benefits of extending alcohol interlocks to all drink driving offenders, and to all company and government fleet vehicles.
- Investigate the development of a drug and alcohol ignition interlock, and new drug driving testing devices.
- Trial a program that requires repeat drink driving offenders, as a condition of re-licensing, to undertake actions that focus on health issues and rehabilitation related to alcohol dependency.
- Trial an assessment program for drink driving offences over 0.10 BAC.
- Work with the police, emergency services and health sectors to ensure that blood testing for drugs and alcohol is routinely conducted for all injured drivers.
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