ORANGE has recorded the highest number of drug-affected motorists in the Central West, with almost five times as many drivers caught in the city as Bathurst, new data shows.
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In 2015 there were 241 motorists caught in Orange with an illicit drug in their system.
In a telling comparison Bathurst recorded 54 drivers charged during the same 12-month period.
Other Central West Local Government Areas (LGA) to feature in the data were also well in arrears of Orange’s statistics.
Dubbo had 49 motorists caught drug driving, followed by Mid Western (45), Lithgow (33), Forbes (31), Cowra (30), Cabonne (27), Parkes (21), Blayney (6), Wellington (4) and Oberon (0).
Traffic and Highway Patrol Command Acting Senior Sergeant Peter Foran said police are armed with the ability to test for a number of drugs.
“The equipment that we use to test drug driving motorists has been rolled out a lot more,” he said.
“All motorists need to be aware that our capacity for drug-driving testing is the same as drink driving.”
Orange was among locations which recorded the highest number of detections in New South Wales, barcketed with Richmond-Tweed, Tamworth, Wagga Wagga, Newcastle and parts of western Sydney.
Drug testing motorists is a three-step process which begins with a roadside saliva sample. If this test gives an indication illicit drugs may be present, the motorist must undergo a secondary test.
All secondary test samples are then sent to a laboratory for a further reading.
“No formal action is taken until the lab results are received,” Acting Senior Sergeant Foran said.
Much of the region’s secondary testing is conducted in Orange and Acting Senior Sergeant Foran said this could account for the city’s high number of positive tests.
In 2015, NSW Police commenced legal action against 8,253 people for driving with an illicit drug in their system, an increase of 252 per cent, up from 2347 recorded in 2014.
Of the 8,253 persons proceeded against by police in 2015, 92 per cent were charged with their first drug-driving offence. One in 12 people were charged with a second or subsequent offence.
Acting Senior Sergeant Foran warned drugs influence a motorist’s behaviour and police are working to reduce the number of collisions.
