Police crackdown reveals scary truckie ‘drug culture’

Published: March 23, 2017

A police blitz this week on truck and other heavy vehicle drivers in Victoria has thrown up some results that will alarm grey nomads and all other road users.

A National Day of Drug Testing was held on Monday as part of Operation Austrans, which  targeted drugs, alcohol, fatigue, traffic and compliance offences. And a staggering one in 37 Victorian truck drivers tested positive to drug driving, almost double the national figure.

Acting Superintendent of Road Policing Operations Stuart McGregor told the Age newspaper that the results painted an alarming picture of drug culture within the truck industry.

“None of us want to think that the 12 tonne truck approaching us at 100km/h on the freeway is under control of a person impaired by illicit drugs,” Superintendent McGregor said. “In Victoria 295 drug driver screening tests were administered on Monday with eight heavy vehicle drivers returning a positive result. Alarmingly that is one in 37 drivers that just should not be driving on our roads.”

Nationally, one in every 68 truck drivers tested positive to drug driving, almost half of Victoria’s figure.

Superintendent McGregor told the Age that there was a core group of heavy vehicle drivers putting the community at risk despite efforts to eradicate drug use among drivers.

One of those caught in the police crackdown was a B-Double driver who was speeding 20km/h over the limit on the Calder Freeway and who also failed an oral fluid drug test.

He was found to have been driving with a suspended licence, and was alleged to be using falsified log books.

  • Comment below

 

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
ADVERTISEMENT

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop