More and More Women Driving Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol

In the survey conducted in January, "an estimated 571,000 people reported having driven a car under the influence of alcohol in the past twelve months," a decrease of 13 percent. However, the number of drug drivers has increased by six percent over two years. And women are "catching up in the risk area of impairment in road traffic."

However, it is still by far men who lead the statistics, according to the data published on Thursday. The proportion of male drivers for drugs was 63 percent according to the current survey, and 69 percent for alcohol. Despite numerous police measures, it has "not yet been possible to bring about a sustainable trend reversal." On July 1, the introduction of alcohol pre-testing devices, which made rapid testing possible, will mark its 20th anniversary.

In the previous study in 2023, an estimated 654,000 people even admitted to being drivers under the influence of alcohol. Specifically, "the respondents were not sure if they were still under 0.5 per mille," according to the KFV. The number of drug drivers, on the other hand, has increased from 250,000 to 265,000 during this period. And women have "unfortunately caught up significantly in both areas," said Klaus Robatsch, head of traffic safety at the Austrian Road Safety Board.

Almost 29,000 Reports for Alcohol at the Wheel

The number of women who have driven a vehicle under the influence of drugs in the past twelve months has increased by ten percent compared to two years ago. Among men, the increase was a more moderate four percent. For alcohol, the survey showed an increase of 23 percent among female drivers, while there was a decrease of 22 percent among men. In 2024, 28,867 people were caught and reported for alcohol at the wheel, and 8,227 people for driving under the influence of drugs.

51 percent of respondents consider it "very" or "rather likely" to be caught in a speed check. Only 36 percent expect an alcohol check, and only 20 percent expect a drug check. "To enable more drug checks with minimal personnel effort, we demand the increased use of high-quality saliva pre-testing devices," demanded Robatsch.

Evidence-Secure Drug Checks More Complex

Since the use of saliva pre-testing devices in 2017, according to KFV, the pre-tests have almost quadrupled, but the evidence-secure procedure for drugs is still more complex and time-consuming than for alcohol. If an alcohol pre-testing device confirms the suspicion of intoxication, a breath test is conducted using a calibrated and evidence-secure "Alkomat." In the drug area, the basis for criminal liability in road traffic is not consumption, but the actual impairment of driving ability, which must be determined by a medical report. In almost all other EU countries, such as Germany, France, and Italy, as well as in Switzerland, "the exceeding of certain thresholds decides on the criminal liability for drugs."

According to Statistics Austria, twelve people lost their lives in road traffic drug accidents in 2024, twice as many as the previous year. A total of 176 drug accidents with personal injuries (fatalities and injuries) were recorded on Austria's roads, an increase of 16 percent.

(APA/Red)

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