There’s good and bad news to come from recently released figures on Victorian roads. The good news is that after the first 6 months of 2017, Victoria is on track to record one of its lowest road tolls in history. The bad news is that, with many people failing random drug testing on our roads, the road toll could quickly go in the wrong direction.
Road toll on Victoria’s roads
First to the good news. The Herald Sun has revealed that Victoria is on track to record an improved road toll for 2017.
After the completion of the first six months of the year, the road toll sat at 123, 22 fewer deaths than for the same stage in 2016. If the improvement can be maintained, 2017 will be the best year for the road toll since 2013, when 243 deaths were recorded.
However, as the article highlights, there are still several areas of significant concern when it comes to road safety. In particular, the use of mobile phones, speed, complacency and last but certainly not least, drugs.
Random drug testing in Victoria catching more
Figures recently released, and revealed in another Herald Sun article, show that 8764 people failed random drug testing on Victorian roads in 2016. With approximately 95,000 drug tests carried out during the year, that’s a failure rate of 9.2% or more than 1-in-11.
Not surprisingly, the shocking random drug testing failure rate and other evidence has the police labelling illicit drug use as the leading factor in death and serious injury on our roads, taking over the mantle from alcohol.
Police Assistant Commissioner Doug Fryer questions whether people are getting the message.
“In the past, the separation of behaviours in relation to drink driving seemed foreign and intruded on what drivers may have thought was normal, well we have been on a 40 year journey to get to where we are today — without a doubt, drink driving is totally unacceptable,” Mr Fryer says in the article.
“I’m not sure though with drug driving, do users not really understand or don’t really care about getting on the road while impaired? Or, are they just prepared to run the gauntlet and think they won’t get caught?”
Random drug testing in Victoria’s workplaces
You can bet that if people aren’t getting the message about the dangers of taking drugs and driving on Victoria’s roads, they’re taking similar risks in the workplace.
If you’re a workplace owner or manager in Victoria, the best way to protect your business from the scourge of drugs is to have a drug and alcohol policy, provide education for your employees, provide support for employees and conduct drug testing. This should include random drug testing of your employees.
Integrity Sampling provides drug testing as part of its drug and alcohol management services. We have branches across Victoria, including Melbourne. Phone Integrity Sampling on 1300 SALIVA for a confidential, no-obligation discussion about your needs.
