Fiona puts pressure on roadside Drug Testing

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — My question is for the minister representing the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Ms Pulford. The Transport Accident Commission’s (TAC’s) latest drug-driving campaign features a young man, completely in control of his vehicle, driving his grandmother home after Sunday lunch when he is subjected to a drug-driving test. His grandmother looks on as the saliva test returns a positive result. The press release announcing the ad says that the new campaign aims to educate the community that drugs can remain detectable long after the impairment effects have passed, sometimes even weeks after the substance was consumed. Minister, if the driver is not impaired, why are the drivers being charged?

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — Thank you, Minister, and I look forward to that response. Of course we all take this issue very seriously. The campaign website went on to say that in the last year 18 per cent of drivers and motorcyclists killed on the roads tested positive to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Given that the TAC admits drug testing does not measure impairment, does the government have any evidence that the THC detected in those drivers in any way contributed to the fatal accident?