New South Wales police officers now have more power to arrest alleged drug drivers on the spot, thanks to the introduction of a new law which quietly came into effect over the weekend.
News.com.au reports that as of September 1, motorists who return a positive roadside oral test for drugs can be placed under arrest, instead of needing to be taken to a police station or nearby testing bus.
The first test is sent to a lab for analysis while a second on-the-spot swab test is undertaken. If this comes back positive as well, motorists are banned from driving for the next 24 hours.
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No other changes have been made to the testing process, which culminates in potential prosecution should the lab results come back positive.
The introduction of the law comes after 17,507 positive drug tests on motorists were recorded in New South Wales throughout 2023.
Tragically, drug driving accounted for more fatalities than drink driving in New South Wales last year.
According to the National Road Safety Partnership Program – delivered by Monash University’s Accident Research Centre – a quarter of drivers killed in road crashes had drugs other than alcohol in their system.
