Call for more drug testing
A PEAK road safety research body says nearly tripling the state’s drug testing program would save more than 24 lives and stop 140 serious injury crashes every year.
Fifteen people died on the region’s roads in 2019, while 264 were killed on Victorian roads.
Victoria Police data shows the number of motorists killed with stimulant drugs such as ice in their system rose statewide from 5 per cent in 2010 to 19 per cent in 2018.
In a submission to a parliamentary inquiry into Victoria’s rising road toll, the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) said the number of seriously injured ice-affected drivers has “trended up steeply during the last decade”.
The submission — completed by a number of experts including Professor Max
Cameron and Dr Karen Stephan — stated increasing targeted roadside testing for drugs would deter drivers from using ice and cannabis.
“The 50 per cent increase to 150,000 roadside drug tests during 2019, particularly targeted tests, is expected to have saved three fatal crashes and 55 serious injury crashes,” they said.
“Further increases in targeted and random roadside drug tests are warranted, up to 426,500 total tests per year in the first instance.
“It is estimated that 24.5 fatal crashes and 140.5 serious injury crashes would be saved per year.”
Last month the Geelong Advertiser reported experienced police were concerned only a small number of officers could perform roadside drug testing.
“(General duties officers) just have to let them go there is no other alternative,” an experienced officer said.
“The current model isn’t able to police (drug-driving) in an appropriate manner.
“People being charged with drug-driving is becoming significantly more, based on the fact they are being tested. Is it the tip of the iceberg? Possibly.”
Victoria Police data reveals drug-driving eclipsed drinkdriving on Geelong roads in the first six months of 2019 with 97 drug-drivers nabbed, while more than 4600 drugdrivers were detected in 2018 across the state.
MUARC experts said the state’s roadside drug testing program had already achieved “substantial reductions” in fatal and serious injury crashes, but could be expanded.
In its submission to the same inquiry, the State Government said Victoria Police was reviewing its roadside drug testing procedures to develop a more “effective and efficient approach”.