The emergence of increased involvement of drugs other than alcohol drug in road trauma in Victoria led to legislation being introduced in 2000 to detect and prosecute drivers found to be impaired by drugs other than alcohol. The drug impaired driving legislation is based on the recognition of observable impairment in drivers. The impairment based program does not provide a high level of general deterrence from using drugs and driving as the enforcement is not highly visible. In December 2004 a legislative framework for the random drug screening of drivers modelled on the successful random alcohol screening methodology was introduced in Victoria. The framework prohibits driving while methamphetamine (MA), methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and cannabis (THC) is present at any level and, for police to randomly drug test drivers for the presence of the drugs by oral fluid (saliva) sample screening at the roadside. The new drug screening program has the potential to substantially reduce the contribution of drug use to road trauma in Victoria in the same way as the alcohol screening program has over the past thirty years. The results of the random drug screening program thus far clearly indicate this potential may be realised. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E216178.
Abstract