Drugged motorists escaping

By Michelle Herbison
POLICE are missing opportunities to arrest drugged drivers due to a shortfall in training and equipment to run secondary tests, according to a Geelong highway patrol officer.
Senior Sergeant Shane Coles said he put forward a concept paper to Geelong’s divisional command requesting the problem be addressed.
“Half our office is qualified in the initial saliva test but there’s been no training for the second part.”
Sen Sgt Coles said a roadside saliva test costing about $30 could indicate methamphetamine and cannabis but confirming a positive result required further testing.
“We can’t confirm on the spot unless we have reasonable belief.”
Sen Sgt Coles said drivers who returned positive results in roadside assessments were taken to police stations for further video-recorded testing.
“It’s a long process. The technology is more complicated than for drink driving,” he said.
Sen Sgt Coles said analysis in Melbourne cost $600 a test.
Penalties for driving under the influence of drugs included fines of about $400 or a three-month loss of license, he said.
Penalties for drink driving with a .1 per cent blood alcohol limit was up to 12 months.
“The comparison is quite broad,” Sen Sgt Coles said.
Latest Transport Accident Commission statistics from 2010 show that 37 per cent of drivers and riders who died on Victorian roads tested positive to illegal and legal drugs.
About 18 per cent tested positive to cannabis and 5.3 per cent to illicit stimulant or amphetamine-type drugs.
TAC senior manager John Thompson said driving under the influence of drugs affected basic skills needed to stay safe.
“The biggest issue with drug driving is that the effects are so varied and unpredictable, meaning you can never be sure how your body will react.”
Mr Thompson said the road toll was down on last year but Victorians had “no room for complacency”.