Interviews and co-design to enable new views into the drug driving journey
Client
Victoria Police, Transport Accident Commission
Timeframe
December 2021 - March 2022
Role
Lead Researcher
Engagement
21 remote interviews and 5 co-design workshops with road safety partners
“The criminal model of drug driving is limiting in a variety of ways. We must incorporate a more nuanced view of drunk and drug driving.”
— Research participant
Objective
To visualise the roadside drug testing ecosystem in order to improve the space for collaboration between road safety partners and enable further reduction of road trauma.
Methodology
In late 2021, I led a project with Victoria Police, in partnership with the Transport Accident Commission, to tackle the complex issue of drug driving in Victoria. Our aim was to map out the entire drug-driving journey, from initial drug use to post-detection outcomes, to enhance collaboration among road safety partners and reduce road trauma.
Our approach was collaborative, involving various stakeholders through interviews and workshops:
Phase 1: We started by interviewing 21 members of the road safety partnership, including representatives from Victoria Police, the Department of Justice and Community Safety, the Department of Transport, the Department of Health, the Transport Accident Commission, and others like the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine and Harm Reduction Victoria. We documented the intricacies of drug driving and the practical aspects of prevention, enforcement, sanctions, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Phase 2: We ran five co-design workshops that brought stakeholders together to develop a journey map collaboratively. They provided a hands-on opportunity for the partners to co-develop a validated journey map and explore how the map helps to navigate the complexities of drug driving.
Phase 3: Finally, we conducted validation interviews to refine the journey map. This step ensured the map accurately represented the current reality of drug driving, outlined an aspirational future state, and provided clear, actionable steps to help achieve that future.
Deliverables
We developed a detailed journey map and a companion report to enhance understanding and collaboration around drug-driving interventions. The journey map visually traced the driver's experience, highlighting key moments such as drug use, driving under the influence, and post-detection outcomes.
The report complemented this by outlining our research methods and findings, presenting 32 opportunities to improve drug testing, sanctioning, and treatment, along with 12 recommendations for strengthening operational partnerships, informed by a global scan of road safety initiatives.
Outcome
Our research highlighted how critical the road safety partnership is in reducing road trauma across Victoria. It also uncovered a clear need to expand the partnership's focus, mainly to tackle the complex issue of drug driving and ensure offenders are supported in meaningful ways.
Our work helped the partners to better understand each agency's role in the issue of drug driving. The carefully researched and evidence-based opportunities to improve the collaboration offered further practical, actionable steps to strengthen the partnership's efforts and drive improved outcomes for Victorian road users.