The prevalence of drug driving and being caught for a drug driving offense among community-recruited people who use methamphetamine in metropolitan and rural Victoria, Australia.

Objective: To examine the prevalence, frequency and characteristics of drug driving and being caught for a drug driving offense and their key correlates among people who used methamphetamine in rural and metropolitan areas of Victoria, Australia.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of a sample of 744 people who used methamphetamine. Outcomes included self-reported drug driving (driving within three hours of consuming drugs, yes/no) and having been caught for a drug driving offense (yes/no). Sociodemographic (including rurality) and drug use variables were included in multivariable analyses.

Results: Of the 511 participants who reported driving in the six months prior to the survey, 407 (80%) reported drug driving (driving within three hours of taking an illicit drug). Most drug drivers (92.6%) reported taking methamphetamine (in combination with other drugs (59.5%) or in isolation (33.2%)) before driving. Most reported drug driving daily (31%) or weekly (25%), with passengers often (31%) or sometimes (28%). Most reported believing their driving was not at all impaired (49%), or only slightly impaired (32%) when preceded by drug taking. Multivariable analysis revealed that drug driving was not associated with rurality, nor with other socio-demographic characteristics. However, participants residing outside metropolitan areas were more likely to report having been caught previously for a drug driving offense (Adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.93, 95% CI = 1.18-3.16).

Conclusions: The majority of people within this cohort of people who used methamphetamine reported drug driving. An enhanced focus on public health campaigns and strategies to prevent drug driving is needed.