Roadside drug tests strike early in Melbourne

MELBOURNE - The world's first roadside random drug testing facility took just 15 minutes to detect its first alleged drugged driver in Melbourne yesterday.

But he was the only person to test positive out of 32 people stopped by police.

Assistant Commissioner Bob Hastings yesterday said that police did not know what to expect when they began testing in Yarraville, in Melbourne's inner-west.

"We turned out here this morning with the expectation of not quite knowing what to expect really, and it was surprising that so early we got some driver who tested positive," he told reporters.

"We will crank this up as we move towards Christmas and focus on those areas where we believe there's high usage of illicit drugs."

The test detects THC, -- the active component in marijuana -- and methamphetamines, or speed, in saliva.

Drivers give a sample by touching their tongue on an absorbent collector and results develop in five minutes.

Police plan to test 9,000 Victorian motorists in the next 12 months and will target truck routes and rave party precincts.

Yesterday, preliminary tests on a man returned positive results to methamphetamines.

The van driver, who was tested about 11.15am on Monday, was the fourth person tested after the roadside station opened at 11am.

He returned positive results to both a saliva swab and a second, more detailed test, in a police van.

The sample will be sent for laboratory analysis, which will take 14 days.

No infringement notice will be issued until the results of the comprehensive laboratory test are available.

A second man yesterday returned a positive sample to speed at the roadside test, but an analysis in the police van was negative.

Motorists had generally positive reactions to the new testing stations.

John Riani, of Melbourne, was unruffled about the delay when he was pulled over.

"It's only five minutes mate, not a problem," he said.

Vivian Buiatti, of Laverton in south-west Melbourne, said five minutes was a bit of a wait if someone was in a hurry, "but otherwise you know, it's not bad, it's all right".

Commissioner Hastings said a decision on whether the testing technology would be expanded to other Victoria Police vehicles would be made after this program was evaluated.

"We've changed the attitude and the culture of the community towards drink driving, I think we are now starting to move that way with drug-driving -- and they are both as dangerous as one another," he said.

"The penalties we've started off at the moment are comparable to drink driving and given it's a first we had to set a rate that we thought was fair.

"I think once the program is evaluated then it will be up to all those involved in road safety and government to make a decision as to whether the penalties need to be increased."

Drivers who return a positive sample to preliminary tests would be provided with a sample, which they can have independently analysed, a Victoria Police spokesman said.

If the final laboratory test results are positive, a traffic infringement, $300 ($323) fine and three demerit points are issued.

If the matter is contested in court, there is a possible $600 ($647) fine, and up to six months licence cancellation where a conviction is recorded.

- AAP