It might seem like good news that Maitland has been given its own screening equipment for police to detect drivers who are under the influence of drugs.
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But the reason behind the city being given the specialist gear and training is alarming.
The prevalence of drug drivers in the Central Hunter Local Area Command, based in Maitland and Cessnock, has reached new heights and has forced the state’s top police to sign off on the region having permanent access to its own drug detecting equipment.
The startling figures say it all.
A whopping 20 per cent of drivers tested in the Hunter have an illegal drug in their system, according to police statistics.
Of the 80 roadside drug tests conducted in the Hunter on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, 26 returned a positive reading.
On the Easter long weekend, 34 motorists were arrested for drug driving across the Hunter.
It’s no wonder that police are far from impressed and have decided to take action.
Maitland has been pushed up the priority list and will no longer have to share drug detection resources with Sydney.
A dozen Maitland police will be specially trained in the use of screening equipment that will be kept in this region to help stamp out drug driving.
But it shouldn’t take a greater chance of being caught to stop people getting behind the wheel when they are drug-affected.
The simple fact is that drug driving, like drink driving, can take and ruin multiple lives in a heartbeat.
That alone should be enough to persuade people to do the right thing.
So if, for whatever reason, you have drugs in your system, don’t get into the driver’s seat of a vehicle and risk the lives of yourself or the people around you.
