New South Wales police now have more powers to arrest drivers suspected of being drugged on the spot, thanks to new laws that came into effect over the weekend.
News.com.au It is reported that as of September 1, drivers who test positive on the road for drugs can be arrested, rather than being taken to a nearby police station or testing bus.
The first test is sent to a lab for analysis while a second on-site swab test is performed. If this test also comes back positive, the driver will be banned from driving for the next 24 hours.
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No other changes have been made to the testing process, which could lead to potential prosecution if the test results are positive.
The laws come after 17,507 positive drug tests were recorded for drivers in New South Wales throughout 2023.
Sadly, drug driving caused more deaths than drink driving in New South Wales last year.
According to the National Road Safety Partnership – run by Monash University’s Accident Research Centre – a quarter of drivers killed in traffic crashes were using drugs other than alcohol.
