Qld police: One in five drivers drugged, meth as common as cannabis

Roadside drug tests over a two-year period in Queensland have revealed the shocking truth about how many drivers are impaired.

Over one in five Queenslanders tested positive to drugs in roadside tests over a three-year period while, startlingly, methamphetamine was detected in as many tests as cannabis.

From 2019-21, Queensland police conducted 146,491 roadside drug tests.

Of those, over 21 per cent (32,051) returned a positive result.

Just as many drivers returned a positive result for methamphetamine – considered a hard drug – as they did for cannabis, which is often referred to as a gateway drug.

The data revealed by Police Minister Mark Ryan showed 18,721 of the positive tests were for methamphetamine – commonly known as “meth” or “ice”.

Similarly, tetrahydrocannabinol – more commonly known as marijuana or weed – was detected in 18,106 of tests.

The party drug MDMA (ecstasy) was detected in 1514 tests.

The overall numbers total more than the number of positive tests as some of drivers were found with a cocktail of drugs in their system.

Mr Ryan said any instance of someone driving in an impaired state was totally unacceptable.

“It puts the impaired driver’s life at risk and also the lives of other road users,” he said.

Police Minister Mark Ryan

“Police are relentless in their efforts to keep our roads safe, and they will always target those who make poor decisions.”

According to Queensland police figures, 104 people have died on the state’s roads this year.

Queensland Police Road Safety and Regional Support Command Acting Inspector Donna Stewart revealed that, shockingly, within the past decade there had been about a 50 per cent increase in drug presence in fatal crashes.

“Drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol exhibit impaired judgment, memory, co-ordination and reaction time,” she said.

“It’s disappointing that there are people out there who think it’s acceptable to be out on our roads while they are under the influence of illicit drugs.”

Insp Stewart said choosing to drive when affected by alcohol or drugs was a decision with a direct consequence on the life of the individual, and the community.

“Many more Queenslanders could have died or been seriously injured on our roads if police didn’t take action,” she said.

A motorist may be fined up to $3859 for driving with drugs in their system and may be handed a term of imprisonment for up to nine months, while they may also be disqualified from driving for up to six months.

For repeat drug drivers, the penalties increase, with fines of up to $8271, and a jail term determined by the court. Repeat drug drivers may also lose their license for up to two years.