Drugs-driving crackdown planned
By Paul Mulvey
August 31, 2006 06:54pm
MOTORISTS will be pulled over for random drug tests as the New South Wales Government moves to cut the toll from drug-related accidents.
The roadside saliva tests will only be able to detect cannabis, speed and ecstasy, with offenders facing jail sentences of up to nine months, unlimited licence suspensions and fines of $2200.
But the crackdown is already facing opposition criticism, as only one specially-equipped police Winnebago van and 20 trained officers will be tasked, initially at least, with covering the entire state.
Announcing the move today, Premier Morris Iemma said all drivers and motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes would undergo blood testing.
Mr Iemma also said Roads and Traffic Authority figures showed one in four male drivers used cannabis and 17 per cent of fatal accidents involved drugs.
"As part of our effort to crack down on this dangerous behaviour that can cost lives, we're introducing these tough new laws," he said.
Licence renewal fees will jump by up to $2 to raise $7 million to fund the Winnebago van and 20 officers.
The tests will detect the active ingredient of cannabis, speed and ecstasy taken in the previous four hours.
But, because codeine, the active ingredient of many cold medicines and headache tablets, is exempt, illegal drugs which also contain codeine – such as heroin and cocaine – will not be detected.
Police Minister Carl Scully said truck drivers would be specifically targeted.
"The heavy vehicle industry is now on notice," he said.
"There is strong evidence that long-haul truck drivers are engaging in the consumption of drugs which impairs their driving with tragic and catastrophic consequences.
"Weighing stations and lay-bys on our highways where the trucks are going through, with drivers full as a goog with some of these drugs, is where the police will initially target it."
Traffic Services Commander Superintendent John Hartley said areas around rave parties and nightclubs would also be targeted.
Supt Hartley said he expected the tests to be operating by November with around 5,500 to be conducted in the first year.
The initiative comes more than two years after the NSW Government made a commitment to the family of nine-year-old Dubbo boy Brendan Saul, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver under the influence of drugs.
Brendan's death in January 2004 had already prompted the introduction of "Brendan's Law", which increased the penalty for failing to stop after an accident from 18 months to 10 years.
Mr Iemma said it has taken two and half years to obtain the equipment and training good enough for his Government to introduce the drug-testing legislation and honour its commitment to Brendan's parents, Kevin and Patsy.
"We are now in a position to proceed, having done the testing and training and learned from some of the issues our Victorian colleagues faced," he said.
Victorian police have been drug-testing drivers for 12 months during which 400 of the 20,000 tests returned positive results.
NSW Opposition police spokesman Mike Gallacher said one van, which he called the Iemmabago, was not enough.
"That big holiday bus, a bit like the Griswalds as they move around NSW, will be the only location that you'll see this drug-testing taking place," Mr Gallacher said.
"It will be a case of taking (the bus) into the marginal seats and doing the media stunt.
"They should be looking at the Victorian model – making sure that every highway patrol car throughout NSW is capable of doing the drug test."
