You’ve probably got the message about the dangers of drinking and getting behind the wheel, but mixing drugs and driving can be just as dangerous.
Being under the influence of more than one drug, including alcohol, puts you at even more serious risk of having a car crash. If you’re not worried about yourself then think about your friends and others on the road. Imagine being responsible for another person being maimed for life. Why risk having to deal with the consequences for the rest of your life.
A psychoactive drug is a drug that affects the mind or behaviour and because of this can impact on driving ability. There are three main categories of drugs based on their effects on the body - stimulants, hallucinogens and depressants. They each have different effects on driving ability.
Remember that the driver may not realise just how much their driving ability is affected until they are placed in a situation where it is tested. By this stage it may be too late!
The way a person experiences drugs depends on many things. It depends on the drug (type, amount, purity and method of use), the person (their mood, body size, personality, expectations, sex, health, experience and if other drugs have been taken) and the setting (people around, surroundings, place and occasion). The setting can change very quickly when driving. The drug’s effect on the person’s driving ability can be unpredictable and difficult to judge until it is too late. It is safer to avoid such a situation.