Drug driving is up 800 percent over the decade.
One in 10 drivers in New South Wales (NSW) tested positive for illicit drugs last year, according to insurance and roadside assistance provider NRMA.
NRMA’s Driving High report, released on Nov. 25, found drug-related crashes continue to rise, with 79 lives lost in 2023, a 24-person increase from the previous year.
NRMA urged the NSW state Labor government to ramp up testing to meet the 200,000 tests per year goal set in 2018, pointing out that the state fell 40,000 tests short last year.
The report also proposes improved resources for policing and increased public education.
Second Leading Cause for Road Deaths
The NRMA report says drug driving is now the second leading cause of death on NSW roads, surpassing fatigue, drunk driving, and non-seatbelt use.
In nearly 70 percent of drug driving-related crashes, drivers tested positive for cannabis, followed by methylamphetamine (43 percent), and cocaine (7 percent).
Most drivers involved in fatal crashes were males (85 percent) aged 20-29 (31 percent), with nearly 50 percent of those who tested positive falling within the 30-49 age group.
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