DRUG DRIVERS KILLING US

“People would be horrified”: One in six drivers tested for drugs come up positive Low-level drink drivers punished more than deadly doped-up menaces

A VETERAN highway patrol boss has blown the whistle on the true extent of carnage being caused by drug drivers.

Outgoing Geelong Senior Sergeant Shane Coles has revealed that more than half of the crashes in the Geelong region police division involved drug or drink drivers with 1in-6 drivers drug tested coming back with positive readings.

As he prepares for retirement after 44 years in the job, Sen-Sgt Coles has:

CRITICISED the $476 fine for drug driving as being less than the public cost of the full testing process — close to $800.

HIGHLIGHTED that drink drivers currently lose their licence for twice the length of time than drug drivers.

A VETERAN highway patrol officer has blown the whistle on the true extent of carnage being caused by drug drivers on Geelong roads.

Outgoing Geelong Highway Patrol boss Senior Sergeant Shane Coles has revealed that more than half the crashes in the Geelong region police division involved impaired drivers with 1-in-6 drivers drug tested coming back with positive readings.

And as he prepares for retirement after 44 years in the job, he has: SLAMMED loopholes in the system that don’t sufficiently punish ice, cannabis and prescription abusing motorists. CRITICISED the fine for drug driving — at $476 — as less than the public cost of the full testing process, being close to $800 each test. HIGHLIGHTED that drink drivers lose their licence for twice as long as drug drivers.

Sen Sgt Coles said Victoria must urgently get tougher on drug drivers before more people were killed on the roads.

Learner drivers and parents were among the hundreds caught across the region this year with ice or cannabis in their systems and, in many cases they were driving under the influence of both, he said.

“Across the Western Region Division 1, 51 per cent of drivers involved in collisions are impaired,” Sen Sgt Coles said. “I did some research on our fatalities a while ago, looking at the amount of drugs in their systems before we had the chance of really trying to detect these people.

“It was pretty horrific the drugs that were there, including prescription (sedatives).”

Between June and September six learners were among 122 drivers who tested positive to ice or cannabis while travel- ling on the region’s roads.

Sen Sgt Coles said it was farcical that the cost of the fine for drug driving failed to cover the cost of the test itself, effectively losing the government money.

He said with more drug drivers being caught than ever it was time to take a hard-line approach on the dangerous behaviour.

“People would be horrified to know there’s that number of people driving around with drugs in them,” he said.

“When you compare the drug driving penalties to drink driving (penalties) there's no comparison and I always believe they should be on par.

“Some might say, ‘Oh poor person on drugs’, but it’s their decision just like when you put a stubby to your mouth, you’ve got to wear the consequences.”

Sen Sgt Coles served his last day yesterday after 23 years at the helm of the state’s largest highway patrol at Geelong.

In that time he said he’s seen major shifts in driver attitudes towards drink driving with record low levels.

Drug driving though was growing at a horrifying rate with all Geelong Highway Patrol officers now trained and equipped to test intercepted drivers, he said.