Drugged drivers most dangerous to their friends

“There is a real danger when teenagers accept rides from so called friends who are blazed – it could cost you your life” says Maria Lovelock, New Zealand Road
Safety Education Programme Manager.

Blazed is a term used to describe someone affected by marujana.

The Ministry of Transport report that for every 100 alcohol or drug-impaired driver or rider who die in road crashes, 47 of their passengers and 16 sober road users die with them.

“There is a perception that it is harder for a driver who is drug impaired to be caught by police but that doesn’t mean you can cheat death” says Lovelock.

There are no ‘limits’ to drugged driving, a police officer conducts several impairment tests. The fine for driving whilst drugged and causing injury is up to 5 years in prison or a $20,000 fine, or causing death, up to 10 years in prison or a $20,000 fine.

Over the ditch, the Australians conduct random road side drug testing. These saliva screening devices can only detect three drugs – cannabis, methamphetamine and Ecstasy but a government review of New Zealand drug testing in 2012 concluded there accuracy was questionable, identifying only half of cannabis users, and the test took 5 minutes which was too long a period to detain someone.

In 2015 a NZ Drug Foundation survey found that 70% of drug users report driving under the influence of cannabis or prescription stimulants. Research carried out by the Institute of Environmental Science and Research also found that around one-quarter of all drivers and motorcyclists killed in road crashes were found to have cannabis present in their system; with or without other substances. Last year Anita O'Connell, of addiction treatment centre Odyssey House, raised concerns that Canterbury has a serious drug-driving problem.

Lovelock who has recently come onboard with Road Safety Education has designs on getting their flagship programme, RYDA into more schools this year with the help of funders NZ Steel, BOC, Bosch and the Alexander group and community partner Rotary. Driver distraction is a focus of one of the programmes modules, is how to make better decisions as a passenger.

The programme is an essential learning experience for senior high school students that aims to change the way young people think and act on the road - not only as drivers but also passengers and make better decisions.

"Older drivers will always have advantage over youth on our roads. Youth have more challenges; their brains are still developing, they exhibit sensation-seeking behaviour, they are greatly influenced by peer pressure, they often drive less road-worthy cars, can be sleepy, and often drive at night or for 'fun'. They also don’t have the experience that older drivers have. It's up to us as a community to bridge that gap of inexperience and underdevelopment with as many tools as we can for better planning and decision making.  That's what the RYDA programme is all about.” says Lovelock.

To date 36,000 students have graduated from the RYDA programme across New Zealand since its introduction in 2007.

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