“If you drink, then drive, you’re a bloody idiot” – the advertising campaign containing that slogan was so effective, most people are aware of the dangers of drink driving.
But that’s not the case with driving under the influence of drugs, according to Sergeant Bill Joannidis of the Brimbank Highway Patrol.
“A lot of motorists understand the risks with drinking and most people do the right thing these days and leave their cars at home,” he said.
“Unfortunately, the same can’t be said of drug drivers.”
He said some drugs stayed in a person’s system for up to three days.
“Many motorists seem surprised that they are testing positive to drugs days after using them,” he said.
“The simple message is, if you use drugs, you can’t drive a vehicle until it is completely out of your system, and that could be after four days.”
To tackle the issue, Brimbank Highway Patrol members will be stationed throughout the municipality at night and early morning in coming months in a bid to catch motorists driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Sergeant Joannidis said that as part of the joint Victoria Police/TAC operation, known as “Operation Dadbi”, police would set up random breath-testing sites and conduct roving patrols in marked and unmarked cars.
“We will target drivers leaving licensed premises … as well as drivers coming into Brimbank after a night in the city,” he said.
“It won’t just be the main roads that we target either.
“Those that think they know a good way home via the back streets may also be in for a surprise when they see our cars testing in these side streets.”
Sergeant Joannidis said almost one in five fatal collisions on Victorians roads involved drivers who are affected by alcohol and/or drugs.
“The TAC has identified the enormity of the problem and has put a lot of funding into it to get a huge amount of extra police resources on our roads,” he said.
