NSW Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner John Hartley, visited Mudgee yesterday to discuss stamping out what he calls the “drug driving disgrace”, following a weekend when one in six local motorists tested positive.
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Twenty-one drivers were charged with driving with an illicit substance in their system after stationary and mobile tests were conducted by general duties and highway patrol officers across the weekend.
Drivers – male and female of a variety of ages - tested positive to cannabis and methylamphetamine.
Assistant Commissioner Hartley said his visit was to discuss issues of road safety within the Mudgee Local Area Command and providing more resources from Sydney such as the drug bus on the weekend.
He referred to the offence as “drug driving disgrace” and said police are targeting it because it’s not only offenders’ lives that are being endangered.
“We’re putting the motoring community on notice and we’ll continue to run multi-command operations targeting alcohol and drug-affected drivers endangering the lives of all road users.”
“One hundred and twenty five tests were conducted and 21 of those tested positive for illegal drugs in their system. That ratio makes it one of the worst in the state - that’s one in six drivers,” he said.
“It’s a warning to those who use illegal drugs. If you’re going to drive a car, chances are with the new technology we have and the increasing number of tests being conducted – doubling the tests across NSW – you’re likely to be caught.
“We’re testing for cannabis, methylamphetamine and ecstasy. You just need to have it in your system, you don’t have to be impaired.
“We know the effects of these drugs, from being aggressive and delusional to the other end of the scale where you’re drowsy and uncoordinated. Match those behaviours with driving a car and it puts the rest of the Mudgee community at risk.
“That’s mums and dads, kids, grandparents, aunties and uncles, all put at risk by someone driving with drugs in their system.
“It’s one thing to do it yourself and risk your own life but when you’re on the road, someone can die, and in a lot of cases an innocent party is taken out.”
Mudgee Local Area Command Superintendent, Anthony Joice, echoed the Assistant Commissioner’s remarks and said police were would continue to target drug drivers with random testing.
“I certainly repeat those messages on behalf of the local community,” he said. “It’s relatively new legislation and it’s random testing for drugs exactly the same as RBT,” he said.
“We’re putting the motoring community on notice and we’ll continue to run multi-command operations targeting alcohol and drug-affected drivers endangering the lives of all road users.”
