Illicit drugs present in almost a quarter of injured drivers in victoria

5-minute read

26 Feb 2026

Decade-long study of injured Victorian drivers finds a rise in illicit drug use.

The findings of a world-first decade-long study, led by VIFM and Monash University, and published in the Forensic Science International medical journal have shown that rising numbers of Victorian drivers are using cocaine and highly potent synthetic drugs (NPS), with nearly one in four who have been injured in a crash found to have illegal substances in their blood. These findings have important implications for injury prevention strategies, roadside testing, and public awareness.

Approximately 6500 blood specimens are received annually through mandatory collection from injured drivers attending a hospital after road accidents. These are tested for the presence of alcohol, cannabis (THC), methamphetamine (MA) and MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy) with detections above the legal level leading to a suspension of licence and a monetary fine.

Professor Olaf Drummer AO from the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine and one of the lead authors of the research paper reported that alcohol, THC, MA and MDMA remained relatively consistent over the decade, present between 11 and 14% of drivers.

But there is also another group of drugs that can impair and increase road trauma. This group includes illegal stimulants, opioids such as fentanyl, ketamine and other new psychoactive substances (NPS).

“The prevalence of illegal stimulants, fentanyl, ketamine, and new psychoactive substances increased substantially over this period, reaching 7.0%, 1.8%, 2% and 3% in the last five years of the study,” he said.

One of the main purposes of the study was to assess the prevalence of these emerging, and other potentially impairing drugs, and to provide additional intelligence over this period to assist in developing strategies to reduce road trauma. A consortium involving the Victorian Departments of Justice and Transport, Victoria Police, and the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) through the Road Safety Executive (Victoria) has funded this research for 10 years. The study analysed mandatory blood samples taken from 10,000 Victorian drivers who reported injured between 2013 and 2023.

Highlights

• Psychoactive drugs were present in blood in over one-third of injured drivers.
• Alcohol at 0.05 g/100 mL or higher was present in almost 14 % of drivers.
• Illicit drugs were present in almost 25 % of the drivers.
• New psychoactive drugs became increasingly prevalent dominated by novel benzodiazepines.
• Motor cyclists had the highest prevalence of impairing substances.

Dimitri Gerostamoulos, Chief Toxicologist and Head of Forensic Sciences at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, and another one of the lead authors of the research paper, says the data gives a unique snapshot into the rise of substances, such as cocaine, being used by drivers in Victoria.

“What we didn’t really have a feel for before this is what sort of other drugs people were taking when they are injured in a car crash, and it’s fair to say that there are more people on our roads with a drug in their system than previously,” Gerostamoulos said. “There’s no other place anywhere in the world that’s doing this level of toxicology on this many samples to get a picture of what drugs are being observed in or detected in people who are injured motor vehicle accidents.”

Other Findings

• Around 38% were single vehicle crashes 64% of the drivers were male; with the lowest rate in car drivers (57  percent) and the highest rate in heavy vehicle drivers (98%)
• Ethanol at any concentration was present in 15.2% of all drivers over the 10 years but decreased from the first 5-year period from 15.8% to 14.6%
• The highest blood alcohol level detected was 0.468 g/100 mL, while the average was 0.149 g/100 mL, or three times the legal limit
• Drivers of cars had the highest overall prevalence of ethanol (16.5%), followed by motorcyclists (11.3%), and heavy vehicle drivers had the lowest incidence at 4.7% with a similar median blood alcohol level
• Motorcyclists had the highest incidence of THC overall at 15.9%, followed by drivers of cars (11.2%), vans/light trucks (increasing from 2.8% to 10% over the study period) and heavy vehicles (4.1 %)
• Methylamphetamine was present in 12.8% of all drivers – 12.6% of car drivers, with motorcyclists having the highest incidence at 15.3%, increasing from 13 % in the first 5-years to 17.8% in the second 5 years. Truck drivers had the lowest incidence (7 %)

Photo Credit: The Age

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Research Paper Details