The Victorian Legislative Framework for Testing Drivers for Impairment Caused by Drugs Other than Alcohol: An Evaluation of the Characteristics of Drivers Detected from 2000 to 2005

Abstract

On December 1, 2000, new legislation came into force in Victoria, Australia, that involved a framework for the procedure to be followed by the police for the detection of drivers impaired by drugs other than alcohol. An integral part of the procedure is the use of performance tests known as the standardized field sobriety tests (SFSTs) and the analysis of blood samples for the presence of drugs other than alcohol. This paper outlines the new legislative framework and the drug impairment detection procedures currently in place in Victoria. This paper also evaluates the data collected using the framework for the first five years since implementation in Victoria.

Keywords:

• Impairment
• Drugs
• Driving
• DWI
• Legislation
• Victoria

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The investigators would like to thank the Victoria police and the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine for the collection of the data presented in this paper.

Notes

*The top five most common CNS depressants were analyzed separately.