Illicit drugs now found more often than alcohol in South Australian crash victims
In South Australia, illicit drugs surpassed alcohol in crash-involved drivers and riders, with drug-positive rates rising from 10.5% to 15.2% while illegal alcohol rates fell from 20.2% to 9.3% over roughly a decade.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Over 15% of crash-involved drivers and motorcyclists tested positive for proscribed drugs (THC, methamphetamine, or MDMA), compared to about 11% of drivers and 5% of motorcyclists with illegal blood alcohol. THC was found in 6.3% of drivers and 9.4% of motorcyclists. Drug rates increased from 10.5% (2008-2010) to 15.2% (2014-2017) while illegal alcohol rates declined from 20.2% to 9.3%.
Key Numbers
Drivers: methamphetamine 9.7%, THC 6.3%. Motorcyclists: THC 9.4%, methamphetamine 6.2%. Drug-positive rate: 10.5% (2008-2010) to 15.2% (2014-2017). Illegal BAC: 20.2% to 9.3%.
How They Did This
Analysis of mandatory blood test results from crash-involved road users over age 16 at the major trauma hospital in Adelaide, South Australia (2014-2017), compared to earlier data (2008-2010).
Why This Research Matters
The shift from alcohol to drug impairment in crashes represents a changing landscape that requires updated enforcement strategies and public messaging.
The Bigger Picture
As alcohol countermeasures succeed in reducing drunk driving, drug-impaired driving is filling the gap, potentially undermining overall road safety gains.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Single trauma hospital. Only three drugs tested. Positive test does not confirm impairment at time of crash. Comparison to earlier data involves different methodology nuances.
Questions This Raises
- ?Are current roadside drug testing programs effective at deterring drug-impaired driving?
- ?Is the rise in drug-positive crashes offsetting the decline in alcohol-related crashes?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Drug-positive crash rate: 15.2%, up from 10.5%
- Evidence Grade:
- Mandatory testing data from a major trauma hospital provides reliable detection, though limited to one hospital and three drugs.
- Study Age:
- 2020 study using 2014-2017 data.
- Original Title:
- Illicit drugs are now more common than alcohol among South Australian crash-involved drivers and riders.
- Published In:
- Traffic injury prevention, 21(1), 1-6 (2020)
- Authors:
- Baldock, Matthew, Lindsay, Tori
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02408
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Are drugs or alcohol more common in car crashes?
In South Australia, illicit drugs surpassed alcohol among crash-involved drivers and riders by 2014-2017, with drug-positive rates at 15.2% compared to roughly 9.3% for illegal alcohol.
How common is cannabis in crash victims?
THC was found in 6.3% of crash-involved drivers and 9.4% of motorcyclists in South Australia.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02408APA
Baldock, Matthew; Lindsay, Tori. (2020). Illicit drugs are now more common than alcohol among South Australian crash-involved drivers and riders.. Traffic injury prevention, 21(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1080/15389588.2020.1712715
MLA
Baldock, Matthew, et al. "Illicit drugs are now more common than alcohol among South Australian crash-involved drivers and riders.." Traffic injury prevention, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1080/15389588.2020.1712715
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Illicit drugs are now more common than alcohol among South A..." RTHC-02408. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/baldock-2020-illicit-drugs-are-now
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.