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    • Alcohol, other drugs and driving

    This information resource has been reviewed by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC).

    Driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs (AOD) is a serious road safety risk.

    Queensland Highway

    The effects of AOD, including some medications, impact driving ability – putting you, your passengers, and others on the road in danger.1

    Even small amounts of alcohol can impair your ability to drive by slowing your reaction time, reducing coordination, and affecting focus.

    It’s important to consider when you need to drive and how any substance use — planned or not — could affect your own and other’s safety on the road.1

    Driving impaired also comes with serious penalties.

    In 2022, there were over 11 million random breath tests carried out in Australia.2 If you’re caught with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05 or above you will lose your license and face other legal consequences.

    In Australia:

    • Around 1 in 13 people (7.6%) who drank alcohol in the past week said they’d driven while still under the influence.3
    • Among people who used illicit drugs in the past year, around 1 in 7 (13.6%) admitted to driving while still drug affected.3

    In Victoria:

    • One in 5 drivers killed on the road have a BAC of 0.5 or higher.4
    • In the past five years, around 41% of drivers and motorcyclists who died on the roads had drugs in their system.5
    • Cannabis and stimulants were the drugs most often detected among road fatalities.5

    Planning ahead and understanding drug effects can help you make safer driving decisions.

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    21. Victorian Department of Health. Frequently asked questions about medicinal cannabis. 2024. [04.03.2025]
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    Last updated: 27 Aug 2025