Mudgee has been included in a list of the ten towns in NSW with the most drug driving incidents.
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The NSW Police statistics show drink-driving rates are declining, however, with 25,000 caught in a year; drink-driving and drug-driving are still key issues.
A further two drivers were arrested on Thursday morning after testing positive to Mobile Drug Testing.
The first was at the Random Breath Testing site on Ulan Road, a 35-year-old Kains Flat woman with two young school aged children as passengers. The second in Grevillea Road, Gulgong, a 31-year-old Mudgee man who produced a positive test after being stopped.
On Wednesday, six people were listed to appear charged with drug driving; five people were listed for drink driving.
Robert Fira Hickey, aged 33, of Wolgan Road, Lidsdale, was fined $1000 and disqualified for three months after he tested positive to methamphetamine and cannabis in Court Street, Mudgee, on February 26.
Since mobile drug testing has come in in the last few years everyone is going to get caught.
- Magistrate Terry Lucas
Magistrate Lucas told him, “since mobile drug testing has come in in the last few years everyone is going to get caught”.
Mark Anthony Townsend, aged 51, of Castlereagh Highway, Gilgandra, was fined $500 and disqualified for three months, after he tested positive for methamphetamine in Horatio Street, Mudgee, on April 30.
Tammy De Courcy-Brown, aged 28, of Church Street, Mudgee, was convicted in her absence and fined $1000 and disqualified for four months after she failed to appear, she submitted a written plea of guilty after she tested positive for methamphetamine and cannabis in Queen Street, Gulgong, on March 12.
Justin Phillip Weatherall, aged 38, of North Marshall Mount Road, Marshall Mount, was convicted in his absence and fined $1000 and disqualified for six months, for testing positive for cannabis and methamphetamine in Saleyards Lane, Mudgee, on March 12.
The other two people charged were adjourned until August 9, 2017.
The statistics show there has been a decrease of 1406 drivers charged with drug-driving, and a decrease of 1562 charged with drink-driving.
Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy of the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command said some are getting the message, but many aren’t.
“It is still alarming to see that there were more than 17,000 drink-drivers and more than 8,000 drug-drivers on our roads in the last financial year,” he said.
“Every one of those drivers or riders have shown a complete lack of regard for not only their own life but the lives of others using the road. We will not stop, and we make no apologies for catching and prosecuting anyone who thinks it’s okay to drink or take drugs and drive.”
