“I wake up the next day swearing I’ll never do it again”: On benzos and driving (Part 2)
Thursday, 17 April, 2025.
In 2014 benzos were linked to more road accidents than any other illegal drug.
Note: this article is part 2 in a two-part series on benzos. The first part is a lot longer and goes into a lot more detail about specific benzos and the dangers of underground markets for fake benzo pills.
Abdul was using benzos a heck of a lot when he drove home to Mount Druitt with a burst tire. The tire situation was so bad that the metal part of the wheel was scraping on the highway, creating a mini-fireworks display of sparks. In his blissed-out state, however, Abdul didn’t take much note. He just kept driving.
In NSW, drug driving recently became the second leading cause of deaths on the road, surpassing fatigue, drink driving and non-seatbelt use. Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle high on anything is generally a dangerous idea. But this issue is even more serious when it comes to benzos.
While NSW Police use roadside drug tests to check if drivers have weed, MDMA or meth in their system, the most common drug group causing car crashes, reckless driving and road deaths, besides alcohol, is none of these three drugs. It’s actually benzos.
In 2017, MLC David Shoebridge, a Greens politician, obtained data about vehicle crashes on NSW roads via a “freedom of information” request. These yearly figures showed that in 2014 benzos were linked to more road accidents than any other illegal drug, even ice.
The statistics vary from nation to nation but the frequency of benzo involvement tends to be similar across the world. Back in 2013, a panel of experts delivered a report to the British government looking at drug-impaired driving. The authors of the report poured over data from all across Europe. They found that benzos are the most common medicines detected in drivers involved in motor vehicle accidents. Furthermore, where road crashes have resulted in deaths, benzos are the second most commonly detected drug type after alcohol.
While Abdul did not end up having a collision that particular time driving home, he was wigged out when he got home and realised what he’d done. It was a really close call and he’s very lucky it didn’t result in a run-in with the cops.
Why do benzos make us bad drivers?
You should never drive while you’re feeling the effects of benzos. Even if you think they’ve worn off completely, it’s still best to give it a few hours.
Benzos calm you but they also slow your reaction time and make you sleepy, which can cause us to make odd and dopey decisions while driving. Additionally, benzos tend to create the illusion of sobriety when we take them. In other words, people don’t realise how high they are while on them, thanks to their relaxing effects. This can lead to overconfidence and thinking you’re ok to drive when you’re not.
Ben, who has used a wide range of benzos without any prescription, tells Users News, “the impact on my driving ability is akin to driving while half asleep.”
“I’ll stop super late, even when I’m behind a car at a redlight that was red for a while, essentially misjudging how fast I’m going and how much I need to slow down. I’ll also try to turn into a street without waiting for a super safe break,” he continues.
“Usually I don’t care about it in the moment but then I wake up the next day swearing I’ll never do it again.”
Mixing benzos with medications that make you drowsy, such as antipsychotics (e.g. Seroquel) and antihistamines (e.g: Phenergan), is going to make you super sleepy because all these drugs have that same effect. Never, under any circumstances, drive a vehicle if you’ve recently taken this drug combo.
What if I use benzos regularly and need to get home?
While police roadside drug tests won’t test for benzos, it’s always best to avoid driving any kind of vehicle with them in your system. Of course, we can’t always predict when we’ll take a certain drug. Benders sometimes come at unexpected times. But we have to remember that benzos can lower inhibitions rapidly and lead to you blacking out, especially the stronger shorter-duration benzos such as Xanax.
This means you need to make alternative plans before you head out, especially if you’re expecting to take benzos. This could be ensuring a mate can drive you home, checking public transport routes or making sure you always have a safety net of dosh in your bank account at all times for emergencies and late-night taxis.