Source: MAC.SA.GOV.AU
Tough new changes to South Australian drug and alcohol driving penalties and roadside testing will come into effect from March 2018, to improve road safety for all road users.
With drug driving one of the highest contributors to road deaths in South Australia, the South Australian (SA) Government is introducing tough new penalties intended to reduce the incidence of drug driving and the resulting injuries and fatalities suffered on SA roads.
In November 2017, both Houses of Parliament passed the Statutes Amendment (Drink and Drug Driving) Bill 2017, enabling enactment of new drug laws from March 8, 2018.
The new laws will mean loss of licence for a driver who expiates a first drug driving offence, as well as dependence testing for those detected drug driving with children in the car. They will also see tougher penalties for repeat offenders, drug screening tests, and drivers detected with children in the car.
Stronger laws and penalties are required to deter drug drivers and reduce the number of expiations and unnecessary injuries and fatalities that are experienced as a result of drug drivers on our roads.
Unlike alcohol-related road fatalities, the number of motorists killed in road crashes who are testing positive to drugs is not decreasing. The latest data shows that between July 2015 and June 2016, 28% of drivers or riders killed on SA roads tested positive to drugs.