Prevalence of drugged driving in New Zealand

In 2014 the New Zealand Transport Agency commissioned a research project designed, in part, to establish a quantitative picture of the type and the extent of drugged driving in New Zealand, by both legal and illegal drugs. A stratified telephone survey (n=2000) and internet survey (n=546) were conducted to explore the extent of drugged driving. Other than alcohol, the drugs most commonly taken prior to driving were strong opioid-based painkillers, antidepressant medication, anti-nausea medication, cannabis and anti-anxiety medication. A large proportion of drivers also reported taking combinations of different drugs prior to driving.