Preventing impaired driving: Early identification and treatment of at-risk individuals in primary care environments - Final report to the NRMA-ACT Trust

Background Impaired driving remains a top contributor to road fatalities in Australia. While numerous countermeasures have been implemented, it continues to result in significant trauma and as such, novel preventative strategies should be considered. Driving is the most prevalent risk behaviour that alcohol and other drug users engage in. The screening, assessment and treatment of impaired driving in primary care environments, even before a detection and involvement with the criminal justice system, is therefore a crucial consideration for prevention of such behaviour. However, to date it i s unknown whether impaired driving is adequately or routinely screened, assessed, or treated in the context of primary care. Method Two studies were undertaken with primary care practitioners. The first involved in - depth qualitative telephone interviews with 10 primary care practitioners that were transcribed verbatim and analysed utilising thematic analysis methods. The findings also informed the items for the second study which utilised a larger online questionnaire. The questionnaire disseminated throug hout primary care networks. The questionnaire items were both qualitative and quantitative and allowed for analysis of the two key research questions: 1. Where substance use intervention is core focus for an organisation, are drink and drug driving routinel y and adequately assessed? 2. When drink driving is explored as an issue, are primary care workers adequately equipped to provide brief intervention to clients based on current, evidence based research?