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Byron Shire
March 19, 2024

Why RDT (roadside drug testing) is failing

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There is growing disquiet about the NSW drug driving testing regime. (file pic)

Aslan Shand

Why, you might ask yourself, is there roadside drug testing (RDT)? The answer on most people’s lips – that it improves safety on the roads and reduces accidents – would be the logical answer; yet former magistrate David Heilpern recently made it abundantly clear that this is not the case.

In a recent post ‘How to argue with those who support drug driving testing’ on the North Coast RDT Locations discussion Facebook page, Heilpern runs through the reasons why the RDT program fails the basic premise of improving road safety and is instead a program that is ‘unjustifiable’. And he is not alone in this argument. Echonetdaily also spoke to both Mick Palmer, former Commissioner of the Federal Australian Police and Northern Territory Police Force, and NSW Greens Drug Law Reform and Harm Reduction spokesperson, Cate Faehrmann, to explore the issue.

For all three the key issue is ‘impairment’, that is, at what level does the presence of drugs in a driver’s system impair the ability of the driver to respond, to reduce the risk of accidents when they are behind the wheel. This is also termed ‘affectation’. In relation to drug testing Heilpern points out that the current RDT program is not about determining someone’s ability to drive, as is the case with testing for alcohol, but rather it ‘is a prohibition measure’.

Recently retired magistrate David Heilpern opens up about his career. Image Jeff ‘not guilty your honour’ Dawson

Doesn’t reduce road toll

‘If it was a road safety measure, it would have been ditched by now, because there is no evidence that it has had any impact on the death or injury toll at all,’ he says in his post.

‘When random breath testing, seatbelts, airbags and 50km speed limits were introduced, all had a noticeable, provable impact on the road toll. Not so with drug driving measures. And it is not surprising given that it does not test affectation.’

Mr Heilpern goes on to highlight that there is a separate, more serious offence, of driving under the influence that would be applied if a person’s driving was directly affected by their drug intake.

‘In the thousands of cases of drug driving I dealt with as a Magistrate, I did not see a single set of facts where it was alleged that the person was adversely affected by the drug. And this is not surprising, because if they were, they would have been charged with the other, more serious offence.’

Roadside drug testing fails to test for ‘impairment’ says former Police Commissioner for the Australian Federal Police and the Northern Territory, Mick Palmer. File Photo

RDT does not address driving ‘impairment’

Former Commissioner of the Federal Australian Police and Northern Territory Police Force, Mick Palmer, told Echonetdaily that while it is difficult to argue with the basic intent of Australia’s drug driving laws, it is disappointingly easy to pick fault with the outcomes actually being achieved.

‘Road safety and the road toll are, understandably, issues of serious concern to governments and the wider community, for obvious reasons,’ he said.

‘Drink and drug impaired driving are seen as significant contributors to our road toll problems, and this may be true. But the key word is “impairment” and where our current drug driving laws fail is that, whilst the laws address drug consumption they do not assess driving impairment. Indeed they make no attempt to do so.’

Yet, in the NSW Police Force response to Echonetdaily over Heilpern’s comments, they are still driving the line that their RDT program ‘is designed to deter drivers from drug driving and putting others at risk by getting behind the wheel after using drugs.’

A NSW Police Force spokesperson told Echonetdaily that, ‘Drugs can affect your driving skills and concentration, and over 20 per cent of total fatalities on NSW roads involve drivers with an illicit drug detected in their system.’

Heilpern responded to this point saying that, ‘It is true that drugs can affect your driving skills, and that those with detectable levels are over represented in the fatality figures. However, no road safety reports or academic articles draw a causative link between these two features and the road toll.

‘First, the detectable levels in coronial matters are not at levels that have any bearing to adverse driving – with cannabis, for example, it is two nanograms. Second, it should come as no surprise to anyone that a percentage of drug users are also irresponsible drivers.

‘The proof is in the pudding – if this regime were successful with 200,000 tests [a year] there would be a significant decrease in road trauma. No-one is claiming that.’

RDT not about road safety

NSW Greens Drug Law Reform and Harm Reduction spokesperson,

Greens MP Cate Faehrmann launching the Greens campaign for drug law reform in NSW.

, drew links between the failed ‘war on drugs’ and the current roadside drug testing regime. Ms Faehrmann told Echonetdaily that it ‘has absolutely nothing to do with improving road safety and is… based on the dodgy idea that drivers should be punished for the mere presence of cannabis in their system, regardless of whether they’re impaired or not.

‘Drugs like cannabis can stay in a person’s system for days or even weeks after consumption. That means that someone who had a joint at a party a week ago could be convicted and even lose their licence when they are no more impaired than any other driver,’ she said.

Former Police Commissioner Mr Palmer highlighted to Echonetdaily that, ‘The discriminatory impact of this focus, particularly on people who are using cannabis for medicinal purposes, is regrettable, prejudicial, and counterproductive.

‘If we are going to reduce our road toll and, at the same time adequately protect those who need protection, we need to introduce better focused and more realistic drug driving provisions,’ he said.

Scrap RDT and test for impairment

Ms Faehrmann takes the call one step further, calling for the entire regime to ‘be scrapped until it can be replaced with an evidence-based approach that actually tests for impairment rather than simply the presence of a drug.

‘This [current] approach is wrecking people’s lives and costing enormous amounts of money, while being a massive drain on our emergency services and justice system,’ she said.

Mr Palmer says that compassion and care for people should be key to the policy.

‘Most people who use cannabis for medicinal purposes do so to relieve pain and trauma. The current law, which creates a criminal offence for driving with any trace of THC in the bloodstream, regardless of any evidence of driving impairment, and which, as a consequence, requires a person to desist from driving for five days after taking cannabis, is hugely prejudicial to [those] persons, and potentially creates very significant penalty and loss of insurance impositions on them.

‘If we are going to develop a balance between sensible and compassionate care for people who take cannabis for medicinal purposes and the control of dangerous and impaired driving on our roads, we have to be prepared to revisit and review our current laws. There has to be a better, fairer, more effective way.’


David Heilpern’s How to argue with those who support drug driving testing

From the Nth Coast RDT Facebook discussion page

We are now at 200,000 tests each year in NSW. That is a frigging big number. I have spoken in the press for a solid three months. Not one word of justification from the police or the road safety gurus. And that is because it is unjustifiable. Here is a response to those mythical people (do they exist?) who seek to justify the current practices around Australia.

1. But it’s random, so your chances of getting caught are minuscule.

It is not random. First, the police utilise number pate recognition to identify and test ‘suspicious’ vehicles. This of course includes vehicles where the driver has previously been in contact with the police and even more those who have previously been dealt with for drug detection driving. Second, the testing sites are often set up outside music festivals and in areas where drug use is high. And let’s not even talk about Mardi Grass blanket testing.

2. It’s a road safety measure.

It is not a road safety measure – it is a prohibition measure. If it was a road safety measure, it would have been ditched by now because there is no evidence that it has had any impact on the death or injury toll at all. When random breath testing, seatbelts, airbags and 50km speed limits were introduced, all had a noticeable, provable impact on the road toll. Not so with drug driving measures. And this is not surprising given that it does not test affectation – see 3 below.

3. It stops people driving under the influence.

There is a separate offence of driving under the influence. In the thousands of cases of drug driving I dealt with as a Magistrate, I did not see a single set of facts where it was alleged that the person was adversely affected by the drug. And that is not surprising, because if they were, they would have been charged with the other, more serious offence. Besides, the testing levels are so low they do not equate to affectation at all – unlike alcohol.

4. But it’s illegal anyway to use illicit drugs.

That is true for some, but not for all. Cannabis is now prescribed widely in Australia with the approval of every government in the country. Even those with a prescription are subject to these laws. But also is it not illegal to use cannabis in many places in the world or in the Australian Capital Territory. I saw many people who had returned from these places days ago, and yet were still detected under the current regime. They had not committed any crime. Secondly, there are lots of things that are illegal (rape, murder, theft, domestic and family violence) and of course none of these lead to a loss of licence.

5. Death and Injury stats show that illicit drugs are the major cause of deaths or injuries.

This is false, and studies that seek to prove this are either anecdotal or unreliable. The major substance cause of death or injury is in order alcohol and prescription drugs. There is one study that seeks to connect high rates of cannabis detection in those who have died in motor vehicle incidents with road trauma. However, this study specifically does not make any causation claims, and the detection levels are 2 nanograms, which no one seriously suggests has anything like a negative influence on driving.

6. But it’s only a traffic offence – you don’t get a criminal record.

This is not true either. Although there are some differences between states, in essence any conviction (or even where the offence is found proven, but a conviction is not recorded) still has significant impacts in employment, insurance and travel. You also, no matter how it is defined, have a police record and court record of the suspension, fine or disqualification.

7. Well, it discourages drug use, and that must be a good thing.

It discourages some drug use, particularly cannabis. It does not discourage alcohol, prescription drugs, opioids including heroin, LSD, magic mushrooms or many synthetic drugs. Also, cocaine is not tested in some States. Given that cannabis is fat soluble, and remans in the system for so long, it also encourages use of amphetamines and cocaine, because although they are detectable, the word on the street is that you are clear of those within 48 hours. And that is probably correct. I have yet to see a public health argument that supports these drug choices over medicinal or responsible use of cannabis.

 


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12 COMMENTS

  1. Thanks to the Echo for lifting the lid off all the stupid beliefs that
    surround the reasons for drug testing. Most of the above has
    been known for a too-long time. Cannabis is a ‘cover’ for the
    right to ‘control’ no more no less.

  2. Too right, Stefanie.
    The fascists in blue hate the very idea of non-conformity and the whole idea of prohibition is merely a pretext to allow discrimination and thuggery, within this ridiculous legal framework. There are dozens of studies that skills are often enhanced by the use of THC, without it there would be no Jazz and most of the art world,
    it has been tried and tested for thousands of years, with very little harm to anybody unlike booze and fags.
    The ignorance and stupidity of these laws are much more harmful to us all, than the herb which has huge benefits for pain control and many other health issues.

  3. “A NSW Police Force spokesperson told Echonetdaily that, ‘Drugs can affect your driving skills and concentration, and over 20 per cent of total fatalities on NSW roads involve drivers with an illicit drug detected in their system.’” – This quote identifies the anti cannabis psychotic delusions that are the base of the war against cannabis users. With an unknown percentage of all drivers that may have minute traces of Cannabis in their system, an actual study may reveal that Cannabis users are 20% of drivers and thus have have no elevated crash rate. Or indeed may reveal that 25% of general drivers have Cannabis in their system, and are actually safer drivers (RTA safer driving promotion – Smoke a joint before driving?) Quoting the ‘shock horror’ 20% without reference to the statistic of all drivers illustrates the anti Cannabis psychosis that has driven this farce of a road rule law. But it is not the political directed Police that are the prime culprits, it is their psychotic Political masters that introduced this law. And only a hundred years of use in Australia and only thousands of years of use globally to get some actual stats before courts that arent perverted by the mentally deficient behavior of politicians suffering from this Psychosis

  4. And did anyone think about the fact with Drug testing, that the police have taken a DNA sample from you, not offered it back when a negative result was obtained and at the same time they have your ID Drivers License to match up with the DNA they now possess

  5. Prejudiced political minds will inevitably produce prejudicial laws.
    But that won’t save you in court. The law, as written, is deemed just, even though it often isn’t.
    So, watch out for whom you vote next time.

  6. Yep the crime is a witch hunt and corporate greed when someone goes to jail and gets no insurance for what they did last week. And more needs to be done before people are accused of crimes that are the least of the communities troubles and then convicted of what will only cause more trouble. The authorities should stupefy a drunk on a high dose and a smoker on a high dose and compare the two on a driving course. I know who is going to win.

  7. Why has there not been a high court challenge to these draconian laws? Impairment must be the problem not having a metabolite in a human being that was some part of their former behaviour or life. Just convicting people is easy revenue raising and destructive. Alcohol is 20 times more destructive than cannabis. Ice is a hundred times so. What we need is a driving sobriety test in a van. Pass the test there and keep on driving. Fail the test get charged with not being able to pass a sobriety test roadside. 24 hours should be enough time to recover. Surely?But to kill a licence, job, family, is so wrong. Australia is a vast country and people need to travel. Having a metabolite in your system should not make you un insured if you were sober. Having to choose only alcohol recreationally because you can drive after a few hours, or because you can have 0.5 means more alcoholics in this world. Alcohol sends people stupid and makes for seriously bad decision making. You can drink yourself into an unconscious state. Not so with smoking a joint. Wake up Australia. The tax man wants alcoholics. Alcohol is the worse drug known to man and causes the most harm in society yet you can legally drive on 0.5 and still enjoy your insurance policy if you have an accident. With no insurance you could go to gaol and be be bankrupt paying damages. Go figure?

    Why take out insurance if you can’t live your life? Why get a licence if you can’t drive sober? Why register your vehicle? Better just to take the risk with no licence , no registration and drive as the consequence is the same. Encouraging people to just control a motor vehicle with no rego, no insurance and no licence to travel is reckless.

  8. You buy a car x dollars, you register it x dollars, you insure it x dollars, you maintain it x dollars. You go to a party one night, you smoke a joint. You spray your bucal cavity with thc. You go to sleep. You wake up next day and drive to work. On the way some clown runs into your car. You get done on a saliva test mandatory cause someone got hurt. You fail the test even though your sober. You go to jail. You lose your licence and criminalised. You sell your house to pay the damages. Well this idea is not productive as 10,000 bankrupt criminals a year don’t make for fiscal policy that improves society. Better off dead!

  9. We have to go to court after being done and explain that this is prohibition by stealth. Most people want to drive straight they don’t want to kill or maime anyone. Nor do they want to break their car. But being a permanent user myself for arthritis I’m going to have it in my system for weeks even if I wake up in the morning and just drive not taking my dose since 2pm the day before. I have not been tested yet. I decarb my herb and finely grind it. Then I put it in 00 caps no oil infusion necessary. I take two caps when I reach my destination and not driving for the rest of the day. I take two more caps 4 hourly until 2pm. I do this every day. Never been tested yet. But if some dick runs into me or a kid runs out in front of me and its not my fault then a blood test will arrange for my demise. Therefore just having traces from 2pm the day before and not impairment will destroy my life the next day. How can this be? I’ve not taken and driven for 24 hours. Some might say give up my medicine. I might say you need a decent understanding about my arthritis.

  10. “they do not discourage alcohol…..”? There is already a very effective tool for detecting and discouraging use of alcohol while driving ..it has in fact been in common use since ether early 1980’s.
    Whinging bloody stoners who think they are so hardly done by. Get over it!

  11. So a retired magistrate is a ‘whinging bloody stoner’? As in the stereotype of stoner’s as unproductive etc.? That’s part of the problem with prejudice, I guess. It’s idiotic and doesn’t need to follow any logic. Do people discussing social issues make you feel “hardly” done by? I ask because you seem a little angry. Get over it, they have prescriptions for that now lol

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