Dark field study shows

25,000 Austrians were “high” behind the wheel

According to a new study, 25,000 drug drivers were on Austria's roads last year. The clear majority were not caught.

(Bild: Peter Tomschi)

If all the drug drivers who were not caught last year joined forces, they could form the third largest city in Austria. A "drug bus" based on the Italian model should change this in future. Now the ball is in the politicians' court.  

People who drink alcohol have no business being on the streets. This is checked millions of times every year by the police using breath tests. Drug tests are different. Although saliva tests have been available since 2017, they are not considered reliable proof. The laborious route to the public health officer prevents the police from taking effective action against drug drivers.

8676 reports (six times as many as in 2017) were issued in 2023. Too few, according to the KfV. The "dark field study on drugs" seems to prove the experts right. Five percent of the 1004 respondents stated that they had driven a car while on drugs in 2023. Extrapolated to 250,000 - almost the population of Linz and St. Pölten combined. An increase of 23 percent compared to 2021 (204,000)!

Three percent

If the study is correct, there were 250,000 drugged drivers on our roads in 2023. However, only three percent (8676) were reported.

Drugged drivers often male and under 40
In general, men under 40 are more likely to take a risky gamble with death. However, the number of women has also doubled since 2021. While the figures have fallen from Vorarlberg to Upper Austria, the east and south of Austria are turning to cannabis, cocaine and co. more often. In Styria, Burgenland and Carinthia, the number of drug users has doubled. "This is a problem that is massively underestimated in Austria," criticizes KfV Managing Director Christian Schimanofsky.

Drugs at the wheel are a major danger in safe road traffic. And one thing is surprising: there are many more drugged drivers than expected.

Armin Kaltenegger vom Kuratorium für Verkehrssicherheit

Will Austria soon have a drug lab on wheels?
The so-called "drug bus" could provide a remedy. The mobile forensic toxicology drug laboratory, which is somewhat more cumbersome to describe, rolls on four wheels and has been in use in Italy since 2019. On Wednesday, the Krone was able to view the high-tech vehicle for the first time in Vienna.

"Drug bus": As is already the case in Italy, controls could be far more efficient in future.

(Bild: Klemens Groh)

A saliva sample is first taken in case of suspicion.

(Bild: Klemens Groh)

The sample is immediately analyzed in the mobile laboratory and then also counts as evidence.

(Bild: Klemens Groh)

If the KfV has its way, the "drug bus" should become a permanent assistant to the police in future. Then saliva tests could be evaluated in the fully equipped laboratory in one to one and a half hours - a higher number of drug drivers would be taken off the road. An improvement in legal terms too. Currently, police officers - especially in rural areas or at night - have to accompany suspects to the nearest hospital for blood tests and expert opinions.

The analysis is carried out on site. This means that the conclusive result of the saliva test is available within 60 to 90 minutes.

Psychologin Raffaela Neustifter über die neue Testmöglichkeit

According to the KfV, it is unclear whether politicians will be able to afford the laboratories (costs in the six-figure range). However, it is hoped that a decision will be made soon in the interests of everyone's safety.