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Liberals To Improve Driver Safety On Country Roads

Drivers mixing illicit drugs with alcohol and then driving on our roads are a tragedy waiting to happen.

By Phillip Davis - 28th April 2006 - Back to News

Shadow Minister for Country Victoria Philip Davis today said that providing adequate testing for drivers under the influence of alcohol and illicit drugs was a priority for the Liberal Party.

"Due to the lack of public transport country Victorians must use motor vehicles for their transport," Mr Davis said.

"It is in the community’s interests that drivers who play Russian roulette with their own lives and the lives of others by combining alcohol and illicit drugs are taken off our roads."

Currently, if a driver is stopped by the Victoria Police drug bus, they are firstly tested for the presence of alcohol in their system, above the legal limit of 0.05.

If this test is positive, the driver is charged with drink-driving and no further tests are conducted to detect whether illicit drugs are also present in the driver’s system.

Mr Davis said a Liberal Government was serious about improving driver safety on country roads, and would introduce tough regulations that would crack-down on illicit drug users.

"Under a Liberal Government, drivers who are found to have a blood alcohol reading above the legal limit while pulled up at one of the drug buses will then be tested for the presence of illicit drugs in their system," Mr Davis said.

"If a presence of illicit drugs is also found, the driver will be charged with both offences.

"A Liberal Government will work with police to implement the dual testing and periods of licence suspension will not be served concurrently."

Drivers under the influence of alcohol and drugs are dangerous and should feel the full brunt of the law.

The Liberal Party is serious about improving driver safety on country roads and when in Government will implement a series of strategies to address issues such as driver training for young country Victorians, maintenance and repair of country roads and bridges, assisting older drivers and more extensive alcohol and drug testing.

Too many lives are lost each year on country Victorian roads.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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