nsw +roadside drug testing 12 month trial

[mabraxas]

The State Government has announced a 12-month trial of road-side testing for ecstasy, speed and cannabis starting next year.

 

The mobile technology for road-side drug testing has been a long time coming. But now no less than four companies will be competing for the Government contract.

 

Roads Minister Carl Scully says the trial will target heavy vehicle drivers using uppers and downers.

 

“Police will conduct on the spot saliva tests with portable drug scanning machines. They’ll be able to tell within minutes if the driver has taken any of the detectable substances,” Mr Scully said.

 

Police will test for the “active ingredients of substances” taken in the hours leading up the test.

 

There will be no prescribed concentration of substances measured by the test – such as the .05 alcohol limit – with the Government saying there’ll be “zero tolerance” for drugs.

 

There will be a price to pay for this new era of road safety and it’ll be paid by law abiding motorists through an annual 50 cent increase in the cost of car registrations.

 

The $4.6 million dollar initiative will also be funded with money allocated from the Government’s Drug Summit.

 

When questioned whether the fines issued to offenders should finance the enforcement, the Minister described the levy “as a small price to pay” for safer roads.

 

Apart from truck drivers using stimulants and depressants to drive and sleep on long journeys, those who like dancing into the wee small hours have been put on notice.

 

And it also appears dance parties might be over for some – with police announcing their plans to target streets near night clubs and big outdoor concert venues.

 

“Research has shown that approximately 24 percent of drivers killed on NSW roads were found to have drugs in their system,” Mr Scully said.

 

The Minister also said he expects the legislation to have the same profound impact as the introduction of random alcohol testing 22-years ago.

 

© National Nine News 2004

[WantDaChronic]

Police will test for the “active ingredients of substances” taken in the hours leading up the test.

There will be no prescribed concentration of substances measured by the test – such as the .05 alcohol limit – with the Government saying there’ll be “zero tolerance” for drugs.

 

ok now what if you suffer from a terminal cancer and the government has put you on medicinal marijuana, u smoke a joint around lunchtime and get pulled over at say 6pm? now 1 joint isnt enough to get a person stoned (usually anyways) but it'll sure as hell show up in that test and they will be arrested for driving under the influence :thumbdown

 

i can see this testing being thrown out the window or an extreme drop in the number of pot smokers if the test is so sensitive it picks up pot smoked within the last month like many other tests for pot can.....with the "zero tolerance" i would imagine alot of people will quit just to keep their cars not to mention their jobs :thumbdown

 

i agree with the majority of society that thinks driving under the influence is a problem...mainly because it puts other people in harms way when it could have been easily avoided. This testing will will scare many a person into driving sober but i think its another campaign saying "drugs are bad" but we all know the biggest problem when it comes to driving under the influence, alcohol :smoke

[mellowfellow]

G'day...and then there is passive smoking...why should a non-pot-smoker be penalised if he/she was in company or in the area of people smoking pot at some time beforehand?

 

Now I don't speak for everyone, I know that there are some out there that should not smoke this weed and drive cars or ride bikes....

Some should not even smoke it...at all!

 

and we don't need crazies on the road pilled with speed or exstacy shit...

 

I've been a choofer/driver for over 40 year's all over our country...in all types of vehicles......never had a problem......never got any ticket...never killed anyone......40 years....so now when i get pulled over and tested...I lose my car for a period...eventually be charged with some ridiculous offence..wasting my time..police and courts...

 

I thought our police had a higher concern in our country as to terrorists and such....

 

I can't see it working too well.....maybe we'll see a lot of car/bike ads...'1000's of pre-stoned cars/motorbikes...at police auctions...haha

 

anyway...mmmm....

[Chev]

Well, I know I'd rather be in a car full of stonerheads than drunken twits

The testing is going to be a HUGE pain for a lot of smokers, I hope we don't cop in here in WA