Safe driving requires precise skills, clear judgement, concentration, and being able to react to what happens on the road.
Drugs affect all of these skills, and not just illegal drugs.
Prescription drugs and even over the counter medicines can affect your driving skills if you don’t follow instructions or your Doctor’s advice.
Taking more than one drug or mixing alcohol and drugs and then driving is even more dangerous. But taking drugs of any kind and then driving puts you at greater risk of injuring or killing yourself, your friends or other innocent people.
There are harsh penalties for driving while impaired by drugs, including a $2, 200 fine, up to 9 months in jail and licence disqualification. Heavier penalties apply for a second offence. Click here to view the penalties.
Roadside Drug Testing
Police have powers to carry out roadside drug testing on any driver, rider or supervising licence holder in NSW.