The landscape of road safety in Australia is shifting. For decades, iconic campaigns like “Drink Drive, Bloody Idiot” successfully changed public behaviour, significantly lowering the rates of alcohol-related incidents.
However, as former Victoria Police member and Integrity Sampling founder Michael Wheeldon explained in a recent interview on 3AW’s Mornings Show with Tom Elliot, a new and more complex threat has taken the lead: drug driving.
The rising statistics
During the 3AW segment, it was revealed that data from a 10-year Monash University study of 10,000 road accident victims shows a sobering reality. Nearly 23% of injured drivers tested positive for illicit drugs, while another 15% had prescription medications in their system that are incompatible with driving.
These figures suggest that while we have conquered the social stigma of the “0.05” limit, we are falling behind in educating the public on the dangers of narcotics and road safety.
The challenge of detection and education
During the interview, Michael highlights several critical issues currently facing authorities and workplaces:
- Testing gaps: While other states test for cocaine, Victoria is only just beginning to move toward including it in roadside kits.
- The “Residual” risk: A major point of confusion for many is the detection window. While the “high” of a substance like cannabis may wear off in hours, metabolites can remain in the system for many days and be detectable in blood tests.
- Legitimisation: There is a growing concern that initiatives like pill testing at festivals, while intended for harm reduction, may inadvertently give people a false sense of security regarding their ability to drive home safely.
The Workplace Advantage
There is a silver lining. Michael notes that in workplaces where Integrity Sampling has conducted testing for a lengthy period, the detection rate is remarkably low—only about 1.5%. This proves that consistent testing combined with education can change behaviour.
Listen to the full interview
Are we doing enough to educate the next generation? Why is Victoria behind on certain drug tests? Listen to the full MP3 file below to hear Michael Wheeldon’s expert insights on how we can make our roads and workplaces safer.
