Local police slam ‘appalling’ rate of drug-drivers during Mid West blitz after Road Safety Commission funding

More than 30 per cent of drivers tested positive for drug-driving in a three-month blitz in the Mid West and Gascoyne after receiving additional funding, a rate police has described as “appalling”. During a three-month “targeted blitz” from September to November, police detected 138 people driving under illicit drugs in the district. Traffic police have boosted their drug-testing capabilities across the Mid West through additional funding and police training to ensure more officers are qualified to conduct drug tests. More than 250 people across the region have been caught driving while high on drugs since July. During the crackdown, a total of 434 drug tests were conducted, resulting in 32 per cent of the targeted drug tests returning a positive result. The operation was made possible through Road Trauma Trust external funding, allowing police to double their efforts, increase working hours and target drug-drivers. From July to November, local police nabbed almost 30 per cent of tested drivers for being impaired behind the wheel. As well during that five-month period, various police taskforces issued 252 road users from across the district with 24-hour prohibition notices for driving under the influence of illicit drugs ranging from methylamphetamine, tetrahydrocannabinol and MDMA. In Geraldton, 170 drivers tested positive for drugs, 38 in Carnarvon, 21 in Dongara, and other towns where drivers returned positive results include Carnamah, Jurien Bay, Kalbarri, Leeman, Mount Magnet, Mullewa, Northampton and Shark Bay. Geraldton traffic police said some of the accused drug-drivers had been dealt with in court, while others were awaiting confirmation of test results from the Chemistry Centre before charges were laid. Geraldton Traffic officer-in-charge Sgt George Tilbury said it was “appalling” to see the number of people in the Mid West community driving under the influence of illicit drugs. “This is dangerous behaviour that puts all road users at unnecessary risk,” he said. “I gave a commitment to our community that we would target drug drivers, which we have done successfully.” Sgt Tilbury said policing targeted traffic yielded the best results and would continue. “I thank the Road Safety Commission for providing us with additional funding that has resulted in many more drug-drivers being taken off our roads and look forward to its ongoing support,” he said.