Victoria will probe laws including drug-testing truck drivers following Eastern Freeway crash
Victoria’s drug-driving laws and testing regimen will be reviewed in the aftermath of the devastating Eastern Freeway truck crash that killed four police officers last week.
Police & Courts
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The death of four officers killed in a shocking freeway crash last week will prompt a review of drug-driving laws and how tests are carried out, according to the Victorian minister.
Police Minister Lisa Neville declined to confirm whether the truck driver Mohinder Singh, who has been charged with culpable driving, had tested positive to drugs but flagged the incident had made drugs a major focus moving forward.
“We will have these conversations with police in quite a bit of detail as the investigation goes on, but there is no question in my mind that we have a growing and significant problem with ice on our roads,” Ms Neville said.
”Whether it’s a truck driver, whether it’s a driver in a car … we will need to review what happens with the truck companies, drug testing there, we need to look at what the penalties are.
“This has really highlighted the need to review our settings on this.
”I think this case will lead us down a path I think, allegedly of course there is a lot of allegations, but this case will lead us down the path to look at the settings in relation to trucks, driving, hours, drug testing.”
Mr Singh has been charged with four counts of culpable driving causing death after his truck ploughed into four police officers conducting a road stop on the side of the Eastern freeway.
Ms Neville’s comments come on the day the first funeral was held for Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor.
While flagging a review, Ms Neville was clear change was not likely to happen soon saying changes would be forthcoming over the next 12 months.
In a parliamentary committee last year, Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton flagged concerns with drug driving laws and has since expressed concerns about the “very convoluted, expensive” drug testing process.
“We are keen to do more on-the-spot infringements and then deal with the testing when they are challenged, much as we do with the alcohol screening environment.
“I think if we can get those changes, we will be able to dramatically uplift the drug-driving numbers,” he told a parliamentary inquiry last year.
However, nothing has been done in the interim 12 months.
In September, Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed that Cabinet would “soon consider a raft of other reforms and changes” to combat the issue, with drug drivers now almost surpassing drink drivers on the state’s roads.
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