Twenty-one per cent of the almost 1000 drivers randomly drug tested on the region’s roads so far this month have tested positive to having some kind of illicit drug in their bodies.

Whether it’s cannabis, ice or ­another mind-altering substance, the driver’s seat of a vehicle is the last place that a drug-affected person should be.

It’s important to be clear that the ­latest police figures don’t mean that 21 per cent of all drivers on Hunter roads were drug affected in June.

But the fact that more than 200 ­people tested positive to drugs when randomly stopped by police is a major concern.

These people put themselves in mortal danger, along with  their passengers and anyone who goes near them on the roads.

Much has been made of the dangers of drink driving in the past few decades and police have recently turned their attention to the role of fatigue in the number of deaths on the state’s roads.

Alcohol, drugs, fatigue and ­distractions are all avoidable risks that too many people still take before they get behind the wheel – despite clear dangers.

Cars, trucks and motorcycles can become lethal within a split second.

Every time a public holiday comes around, police plead with motorists  to be careful and not take risks on the road – many emergency service workers will tell you that one fatal crash is one too many.

To think that the June sample of drug tests could indicate a broader problem in the Hunter is a worry.

So it’s good to see that police are also doing their best to stamp out drug driving.

202 drivers test positive to drugs on Hunter roads in less than a month