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Roadside Drug Testing (VIC)

Drug drivers shock police
Kelvin Healey
July 29, 2007 12:00am

PARTY drug speed has emerged as the greatest substance scourge on Victoria's roads.

More than 90 per cent of drug drivers caught by police tested positive to amphetamines, known as speed, but including methamphetamine, or "ice".

The Sunday Herald Sun obtained the most comprehensive assessment of Victoria Police's drug driving campaign ever released. We can reveal:

DRUG driving stings are catching a staggering one in every 51 motorists tested.

A COCKTAIL of two or more illegal substances was discovered in almost a third of the nabbed drivers.

DRUG driving is rife in the transport industry. One in 53 tested truckies was positive.

TWELVE drug drivers have been caught repeat offending.

WOMEN accounted for almost a quarter of motorists caught drug driving.

There have been 33,050 drug tests since the ground-breaking roadside program began in Victoria in December 2004, with 653 drivers testing positive.

The strike rate of positive tests is much higher than drink-driving campaigns, which find an average of only one in 250 drivers over the blood-alcohol limit.

Police say the drug-driving statistics are high because some testing takes place at events where police believe there is a greater risk of people driving on drugs.

Police have also heard some ridiculous excuses. One hapless motorist tried to blame a positive test on eating fish and chips with vinegar.

Inspector Martin Boorman said community attitudes need to change.

"The evidence is it is a significant problem and it is an increasing problem," he said.

"It is a war and we have got to keep at it, but police can't do it all themselves."

Amphetamines -- speed and ice --were present in 91 per cent of drug drivers caught.
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Herald sun
 
actual usual mdma saliva test time

i've read that mdma can be detected in the vic roadside saliva tests for 24 hours after use...now i'm not doubting that this is probably possible with a very large dose or poor liver function or something...but as the affects don't last more than a quarter of this amount of time , i'm hoping that usually it can't be detected for anywhere neer that long , and i can drive home from festivals on sunday arvo's without getting done.

so i guess i'm hoping for anyone with any info related to this or even friend of a friend stories or speculation

sorry if this has been covered but i can't find it anywhere

on a side note does anyone think getting some sleep would make it more likelly that you would pass?
 
'Double trouble' booze, drug buses
December 4, 2007 - 11:48AM

Victorian police are clamping down on drug-drivers this festive season, with all booze buses now doubling as drug buses.

Victorian Premier John Brumby and Police Assistance Commission Bob Hastings today launched eight "double trouble" buses.

"There is a clear message to all drivers, especially over the Christmas period, if you take drugs and drive you will be caught," Mr Brumby said.

"These buses allow police to conduct random roadside testing of drivers for alcohol and elicit drugs such as cannabis, speed and ecstasy.

"We will not tolerate thoughtless and selfish drivers who get behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol or drugs."

More than 44,000 motorists have been tested for illegal drugs since roadside drug testing was introduced, with 809 testing positive.

AAP
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The Age
 
hoptis said:
"These buses allow police to conduct random roadside testing of drivers for alcohol and elicit drugs such as cannabis, speed and ecstasy."

The Age
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lol. does this mean they will be handing out cannabis, speed and ecstasy?
 
Drug driving ad campaign set to kick off
Posted Fri Aug 1, 2008 11:18am AEST

Victoria's Transport Accident Commission has launched a new advertising campaign to discourage people driving while on drugs.

The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre says 70 per cent of drug users drive a car within one hour of taking illicit substances.

About 20 per cent of drivers killed on the roads test positive to illicit drug use.

The advertisements will begin on television tonight.

Police Inspector Martin Borrman says many users are not aware of how drugs impair their driving ability and judgement.

"There's a considerable level of naivety in the community about drugs and their effect and that's why education is important," he said.
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ABC Online
 
Verybuffed said:
after reading that only 19 of 13,176 people tested were done for Cannabis, I am starting to think this above statement could be true.

Hell everyday smokers are never truly stoned anyway!
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LOL
 
Fines up 50% for motorists on mobiles
November 18, 2008 - 3:22PM

Penalties for talking on a mobile phone while driving or not wearing seatbelts in a car will skyrocket 50% to $226.84 cents among initiatives to cut Victoria's road toll.

In other measures, there will be more speed cameras and more drug testing of drivers, which will almost double from 22,000 drug tests to 42,000 per year.

Victorian Roads Minister Tim Pallas said on Tuesday 30 per cent of drivers involved in fatal car accidents in Victorian roads had traces of one or more drugs in their blood.

He said that talking on a mobile phone while driving increased by four times the risk of an accident.

Last year 332 people died on Victorian roads - the road toll this year stands at 272.

Mr Pappas said speed cameras were an important part of the government's road safety strategy.

"If motorists do not want to lose money to speed cameras, the message is simple - slow down," Mr Pallas said.

Victoria Police also launched its biggest-ever traffic enforcement operation and will have a heavy presence on the roads over the Christmas-New Year holiday period.

Assistant Commissioner of Traffic and Transit safety Ken Lay said motorists who drink-drive in the festive period or ignore the speed limit will get caught.

"This operation is not about writing tickets - it is about changing motorists' behaviour and holding people accountable for doing the wrong thing," Mr Lay said.

AAP
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The Age
 
Vaguely related to this... involves cars and cops. ;)

Anyone heard about QLD police wanting to try out the system in South Australia, where they publish a list of mobile speed camera locations and apparently have had success in lowering the death toll?

I usually don't have much respect for the police, but in this instance I really like the fact that they are putting revenue raising second to saving lives... we'll just have to see how the State Government takes it.
 
Question about drugged driving check points?

I was just wondering if anyone really knows how long after you have smoked weed that it can be tested for at one of the sobriety check points with the saliva test in Victoria? Also how often do cops perform this while performing the alcohol breath test? Any information regarding this would be very helpful, thanks in advance for any help.

[EDIT: Thread merged, next time do a search, and the answers you want can be found on the police's website on drug driving, do a google for 'Arrive Alive' in Australia. hoptis]
 
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More than 300 drivers tested positive for drugs in 2008
Article from: Herald Sun
Anthony Dowsley
January 05, 2009 03:00pm

VICTORIA'S road war on drug drivers is getting results with more than 300 drivers caught under the influence last year.

Despite the result, police say it is an improvement since drug testing began four years ago, with just one in 76 drivers detected with illicit drugs in their system, down from one in 44.

Minister for the Transport Accident Commission Tim Holding said since testing began in December 2004 more than 72,000 drivers had been drug tested with 1200 drivers testing positive.

Of the 29,911 drivers tested last year, 327 tested positive to drugs. This compares to 369, or one in 59, in 2007.

"Driving on drugs is illegal, stupid and highly dangerous and these figures show the campaign is having an effect," Mr Holding said.

"Driving under the influence of drugs is particularly dangerous because it makes you less alert, impairs your vision, reduces your coordination and prevents you from making the right decisions under pressure."

Victoria Police Inspector Martin Boorman said police would continue to target high risk road users and areas where drugs are taken.

"What is disappointing is that we are still catching drug drivers,'' he said.

"We will continue targeting drug drivers unti the message gets through that drugs and driving are a deadly mix.''

Twenty per cent of drivers who are killed on Victoria's are found to have illicit drugs in their system.

Drug testing tabs used by the force do not detect cocaine or heroin, but blood and urine tests are taken from drivers who may be under the affect of these drugs.

Herald Sun
 

Motorists heed anti-drug message
Reko Rennie
January 5, 2009 - 3:10PM

The anti drug-driving message was slowly getting through but some drivers continued to take unnecessary risks, the State Government said.

Transport Accident Commission Minister Tim Holding said 327 of the 24,911 motorists tested for drugs last year returned a positive result.

The one-in-76 strike rate compared to one-in-44 drivers testing positive when drug-testing began in 2004.

"The drug-testing operation has been a success," Mr Holding said.

"We have seen a very substantial redirection in the percentage of drivers being detected with drugs in their system."

Mr Holding said previous studies had shown about 20 per cent of drivers killed in road accidents tested positive for amphetamine-type stimulants and cannabis.

Stimulant use is associated with a threefold increase in the risk of crashing and is thought to encourage dangerous behaviour like speeding.

Since drug testing began in December 2004, more than 72,000 random drug tests have been conducted on Victorian roads and nearly 1,200 drivers have been caught drug-driving.

Mr Holding said there was still a number of drivers who just didn't get the message.

"There are some motorists continuing to take that risk," he said.

"It's an unacceptable risk. Every Victorian killed on our roads is one too many."

Victorian Police Inspector Martin Boorman said people needed to realise that drug-driving was just as dangerous as drink-driving.

"Research shows that a driver who has recently consumed cannabis or an amphetamine-based substance is at the same risk of having a crash as a driver with a blood-alcohol concentration level above 0.05," he said.

Inspector Boorman said Victoria was among world leaders in drug-testing.

"There are not too many jurisdictions around the world (using drug testing technology)," he said.

"We are at the forefront of this type of activity."

Drug tests still cannot detect cocaine or heroin but Inspector Boorman said other processes could determine if drivers were under the influence of other drugs.

Drivers caught travelling under the influence of illicit drugs face a fine up to $1200 and possible six months' licence cancellation for their first offence.

For subsequent offences, people risk fines up to $6000 and 12-month licence cancellation.

The Age (with video)
 
^it's always possible that the change in strike rate merely reflects a change in target populations - you expect more positives if you set up on a truck route or road to a bush doof (how they started doing "random" drug testing), compared to a more truly random sample of drivers. If roadside drug testing is becoming more widespread (which I think would be fair to assert), then we could expect a change in the demographic profile of those tested and a subsequent reduction in strike rate...
 

Drugs, booze, traffic blitz nabs rogue truckies
Article from: Herald Sun
Gareth Trickey
January 21, 2009 08:50am

ONE in 28 truck drivers has tested positive to an illicit substance during a police blitz on Victoria's highways.

The Road Safety Task Force Highway Unit pulled over 57 trucks and found 167 offences during the crackdown on truck drivers on the Hume and Western highways last week.

Offences ranged from driving with a cancelled or disqualified licence, drink and drug driving, and drug trafficking.

Truck drivers are required to have zero blood alcohol content while driving but one truck driver caught in the blitz recorded an alcohol reading of 0.048.

Twenty-four truck drivers were nabbed for speeding, with one commercial heavy vehicle detected at 135km/h.

Police also discovered four radar detectors used to avoid speed cameras and police radars.

Acting Senior Sergeant Alan Tickner from the Victoria Police Highway Unit said police were seeing the offences all too often.

“Truck drivers who want to speed, use drugs, drink drive and flout the fatigue laws need to take notice of these results,” he said.

“If you want to endanger other road users, police will catch you and remove you from the road."

Police also discovered 70 cases where drivers had worked excessive hours or failed to make log entries.

Herald Sun
 
Drug buses are a waste of money.........they might aswell "advertise" large blitz every week in certain areas

They should start by introducing compulsary drug tests every month for all ppl involved in any power position, whether it's starting from parliment, police, doctors, teachers, ambulance, child minders, directors of companies, general managers (factories), etc.etc.etc.
 
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