Australian daily cannabis users' use of police avoidance strategies and compensatory behaviours to manage the risks of drug driving

Abstract

IntroductionDaily use of cannabis is increasing in Australia, yet there is limited understanding of the driving behaviours within this cohort, including how they perceive and manage the risks of being apprehended for drug driving and involved in a crash after consumption.MethodsAn online survey was completed by 487 Australians who reported daily cannabis use (30% medically prescribed patients, 58% male).ResultsCurrent drug driving (i.e., driving within 4 h of consuming cannabis each week) was reported by 86% of participants. Future drug driving was anticipated by 92% of the sample. While most participants (93%) disagreed that their risk of crash increased following cannabis use, participants reported that they would drive more carefully (89%), leave greater headway (79%) and/or drive slower (51%) following cannabis consumption. Half of the sample (53%) perceived the risk of apprehension for drug driving to be likely to some extent. Strategies to reduce the likelihood of being detected were used by 25% of participants, and included using Facebook police location sites (16%), driving on back roads (6%) and/or consuming substances to mask the presence of drugs (13%). The regression analysis revealed that individuals who reported more occasions of cannabis use per day, and who perceived that cannabis does not reduce driving ability, reported a greater extent of current drug driving.Discussion and ConclusionsInterventions and education which aim to challenge this perception that ‘cannabis does not reduce driving ability’ may prove important for reducing drug driving among the most frequent consumers of cannabis.