Leading criminal barrister backs tougher drug driving laws
Legal experts are calling for drug driving reforms as lawful substances like valium slide under the radar.
Leading criminal barrister Steven Lawrence tells Mark Levy current roadside drug tests aren’t good enough.
“At the moment [police] are testing drivers for methamphetamine, ecstasy and cannabis.
“Those are important but there’s a range of other drugs, many of which are legal, which are more significant contributors to deaths on the road.”
Steven says Australia should adopt England’s approach, with British police testing drivers for legal drugs as well.
“The problem here is…the laws that are set by parliament. At the moment, they’re not testing for the right drugs.”
Russell White, CEO and founder of the Australian Road Safety Foundation, says Australia needs tougher driving penalties.
“We don’t allow people to drink drive and we’ve got to shine that light brightly on the impact of drugs.
“Road safety has got to be our focus 365 days a year.”
Click PLAY below for the full interview with Steven Lawrence
Click PLAY below for the full interview with Russell White