Safety lecture hears dangers of drug driving

“Drug driving” – taking the wheel under the influence of legal or illegal drugs - could be as serious a problem as drink driving in Ireland, it was claimed today.

A report presented at an annual lecture today by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) revealed that drugs were a contributory factor in as many as one in three driver deaths in Canada in the period 2000 to 2007.

The OECD/ITF report on ‘Drugs and Driving’ also revealed that almost two in five fatally injured drivers aged 25-44 in Canada in the same period were using drugs.

“From our research in Canada, it would appear that drug driving … is as serious a problem as drink driving,” said the report’s main author Dr Doug Beirness, who also works with the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.

“This is quite shocking when you consider the role drink driving plays in road deaths. Furthermore, our research into driver deaths in Canada between 2000 and 2007 showed that drugs were a contributory factor in one third of driver deaths, and in 30% of deaths in drivers younger than 18 years old.”

RSA Chief Executive Noel Brett said the research highlighted some worrying statistics.

“This is of huge concern when we know that driving under the influence of drugs is just as dangerous as driving when under the influence of alcohol,” Mr Brett said.

“It's also against the law.”

The RSA is currently running a TV campaign to raise awareness of the serious risk that drug driving poses to road safety.