Ice fuelling carnage on Victorian roads

While alcohol use spikes after dark and on weekends, this drug is fuelling carnage on our roads both day and night and across every day of the week.

Ice has become a “24/7” drug on Victoria’s roads amid alarming findings showing one in five motorists killed have it in their system.

While alcohol use spikes after dark and on weekends, ice is fuelling road carnage day and night across every day of the week.

Experts say because the drug is so addictive users are constantly having their fix and getting behind the wheel.

The research — the first of its kind — also shows a ramped up effort to haul drugged drivers off the roads is saving more than 30 lives a year, with even more spared serious injury.

Stuart Newstead of Monash University Accident Research Centre said methamphetamine now killed just as many drivers and riders as alcohol.

Ice was involved in 18 per cent of driver and rider fatalities and 4.5 per cent of crashes where there was serious injury.

New research shows methamphetamine now kills just as many drivers and riders as alcohol. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

“It’s a scary drug because it’s so addictive,’’ Professor Newstead said. “It’s incredibly high risk. Alcohol is very much a recreational substance — you see it after 6pm and before 6am and at the weekend.

“With methamphetamine there’s no particular time of day — it’s actually a 24/7 drug.” Professor Newstead — whose team analysed a decade of crash data — said enforcement was key. “It’s really important for the police to be finding and intercepting particularly methamphetamine using drivers,’’ he said.

Victoria Police acting assistant commissioner road policing command Deb Robertson said the force was on track to deliver 150,000 roadside drug tests this financial year.

She said this was despite booze and drug buses being off the road for several weeks after an electrical issue caused one to catch fire, because every police car could test drivers.

“Every day, police officers see the devastating harm caused by drugs in our community, including on our roads as we respond to fatalities involving drug-affected drivers,’’ Commissioner Robertson said.

It was estimated increased roadside drug testing from 42,000 tests to 100,000 a year since 2015 had prevented more than 33 fatal crashes Picture: Tony Gough

“A confronting reality is that drug use and alcohol consumption are often the underlying factors in serious injuries and fatalities on our roads across Victoria.”

The state government spent $9.8m between 2016-19 on increasing drug testing.

Road Safety Minister Ben Carroll said: “Any measure that saves Victorian lives on our roads is worth taking.”