Treat drug drivers like drink drivers – MP

FORMER policeman and Western Victoria MP Stuart Grimley says tougher penalties are needed to stop drug-drivers from putting lives at risk.

The Justice Party MP said the rise in drug-driving across the region was a “huge concern”.

“Drug-drivers can pose just as much, if not more, risk as drunk drivers,” Mr Grimley said.

“The first offence of failing a roadside drug test is a $543 fine and a six-month suspension of your licence.

“In my opinion, this is the barest of minimums.”

He said he feared repeat drug-driving offenders continued to get fined, lose their licence and attend programs, despite reoffending multiple times.

“This is a never-ending cycle,” Mr Grimley said.

He said magistrates had raised concerns about the need to change the sentencing guidelines to give them the ability to send repeat drug drivers to jail.

“When you get behind the wheel of any vehicle you have a duty of care to all roadusers,” he said.

“To think that someone can get in a car with a concoction of drugs in their system is inconceivable.

“They put all road users in danger and are playing Russian roulette with their own lives and everyone around them.”

Mr Grimley also called for all police to be able to conduct roadside drug tests.

“As drugs are becoming more prevalent in society, we should be treating this like drink drivers,” he said.

“Every police officer has the training and the tools to do breath tests so the same ability should be provided for drug tests.”

The 2020-21 state budget committed $6.6m for Victoria Police to continue to carry out 150,000 drug tests, with police exceeding this, conducting 150,397 roadside drug tests.

Road Safety Minister Ben Carroll said the state had some of the “toughest drug-driving laws in Australia”.