CRI3112 Operational Policing - Briefing paper on the occurrence of drug driving and responses by Police PDF

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CRI3112 Operational Policing - Briefing paper on the occurrence of drug driving and responses by Police...

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Briefing paper on the occurrence of drug driving and responses by Police Edith Cowan University

Background Driver drug use has been identified as having a positive correlation to the risk of road crashes/deaths (Boorman, 2007). As such, it has come to the attention of the agency that drug driving is a prevalent issue for the agency. In 2007, a National survey found that 3% of Australians had driven whilst under the influence of drugs (Australian Institute of Criminology, 2008). In recent years, the number of drivers who are under the influence of drugs has risen, with the number of positive drug test results from roadside tests increasing from 2.1% to 16.4% in one year in the Australian Capital Territory (Scott, 2017) and the number of fatalities on Western Australia roads with illegal drugs in their systems between 2014 and 2015 increasing by 74% (Road Safety Commission, n.d.). Studies have identified that driver drug use significantly increases the likelihood of road crashes (Drummer et al., 2004; Boorman, 2007). For example, one 10 year study found that the presence of cannabis in a driver’s system triples the risk of involvement in a fatal collision and found that a drug driver’s likelihood of causing a crash was actually greater than a drunk driver (Drummer et al., 2004). Driver drug inhibition is therefore an important issue to the agency, as it is not only

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constitutes an offence under Division 2 of the Road Traffic Act 1974 (WA) but the numbers of crashes/deaths caused by drug drivers has been steadily increasing. As a result, the agencies understanding of the factors associated with drug driving is essential to ensuring that processes are put in place to reduce the occurrence of such events as much as possible. The Issue/Challenge Like drunk driving, drug driving impairs a person’s ability to operate a vehicle safely and in accordance with road rules, thus placing other road users at risk (Road Safety Commission, n.d.). Such substances alter the normal function of the brain and body and whilst different drugs have different effects, they all interfere with and impair a person’s ability to drive safely (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2013; Compton & Berning, 2015). Over recent decades the main focus of the agency in regards to driver inhibition has been alcohol, with drug driving taking a backseat to the methods that have been put into place to address drink driving (Goldsmid, Coghlan & Patterson, 2015). A combination of increased police patrol presence, high prevalence and visibility of roadside random breath testing (“RBT’s”) and mass campaigning against drunk driving have contributed to the significant reduction of alcohol related trauma on our roads over the last few decades (Schulz et al., 2012; Goldsmid, Coghlan & Patterson, 2015). Due to the large police focus on drink driving, there are few strategies currently in place to address driver drug inhibition. In 2008, the agency in conjunction with a number of other organisations implemented the ‘Towards Zero – Getting their Together 2008-2020’ campaign (Road Safety Commission, 2009). The campaign consists of four initiatives, safe road use, safe roads and roadsides, safe speeds and safe vehicles (Road Safety Commission, 2009). The safe road use initiative is aimed at influencing road user behavior in a number of ways, including by encouraging road users to drive unimpaired and alert (Road Safety Commission, 2009). Whilst the campaign addresses drink driving clearly in its initiatives, such as through the introduction of the alcohol interlock devices, there are no clear initiatives that have been put in place to address drug driving, with the strategy indicating that drug driving will only receive a moderate benefit from the initiatives put in place by the campaign (Road Safety Commission, 2009). RBT’s have been a feature of the police response to drink driving since the 70’s (Goldsmid, Coghlan & Patterson, 2015), and as a result of its success the use of RBT’s has been extended across Australia within the last 10-15 years to include the detection of drugs other than alcohol, including in Western Australia (Australian Institute of Criminology, 2008;

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Goldsmid, Coghlan & Patterson, 2015). The objective of such testing is twofold, to detect errant drivers and to deter errant driver behavior (Boorman, 2007). Currently, the agency undertakes random roadside drug testing (“RDT’s”) at random and using targeting (Scott, 2017) through evaluation of clinical signs of impairment such as aggressive behavior, bloodshot eyes and uncoordinated movements (Boorman, 2008; Schulze et al., 2012). However, such an approach has its limitations as it is only effective in detecting drivers with observable levels of drug impairment and does not address those cases where a driver’s ability to control a vehicle safely is affected by drug use but such impairment is not visible (Boorman, 2007). Studies also confirm that current roadside drug testing are not acting as an effective deterrent, with the belief among drug users being that there is less likelihood that they will be detected when driving when using drugs than when using alcohol (Boorman, 2007). As a result, unlike alcohol testing, the use of roadside drug testing does not provide a high level of deterrence to the general drug using driver population as the majority of drivers who are targeted are those who showing obvious signs of impairment, rather than those who may not be showing any outward signs of impairment (Boorman, 2007). Recommendations Due to the success in previous police processes in reducing the drink driving levels, it is evident that it is more productive to address drug driving with similar processes that address deterrence such as an increase in the use of RDT’s randomly targeting drivers, as opposed to the use of the impairment test. It is recommended that roadside RDT’s for drug impairment be increased. Currently, drug testing through RDT’s is not done as often as testing for alcohol, largely due to the cost and nature of the technology and the level of human resources required to undertake such testing (Boorman, 2007). However, this was also the case in the 1970’s when alcohol breath testing was first introduced and now some thirty years later, our advances in alcohol screening have significantly reduced the costs and ease of use and a driver is not only detained for only a few moments (Boorman, 2017). Current drug testing also utilises an impairment checklist, however studies have shown that many drug drivers are often not tested as they do not exhibit any outward signs of impairment (Boorman, 2007). Studies have also shown that roadside oral fluid screening can be cost-beneficial, depending on the initial levels of drug prevalence in the testing area (Schulz et al., 2012). Oral fluid screening is also relatively non-invasive, as opposed to other methods such as blood and urine collection and is able to provide an indication of recent drug use (Boorman, 2007; Schulz et al., 2012). Research has also

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supported oral fluid screening as a suitable medium for roadside detection of drugs and it has the technological capacity to continue to develop to be even more effective at roadside detection of drugs (Boorman, 2007). RBT’s are significantly effective at detecting alcohol inhabited drivers and have significantly reduced alcohol related road trauma in recent decades and there is no reason that RDT’s cannot also have the same effect in detecting drug drivers (Goldsmid, Coghlan & Patterson, 2015). As such, it is recommended that roadside RDT’s be not only increased but in addition to the impairment test for determining whether an individual should be subject to a roadside test, that officers should also increase the frequency of random roadside drug testing to increase its effectiveness as a deterrent. It is also recommended that target groups are utilised for patrols. Research has found that the demographics of drug driving are similar to that of drunk driving (Aitken, Kerger & Crofts, 2000; Donald, Pointer & Weekley, 2006; Adams, Smith & Hind, 2008). The demographics for drug driving show that the common profile of a drug driver is a male, 25 years old, single and unemployed (Aitken, Kerger & Crofts, 2000; Donald, Pointer & Weekley, 2006; Adams, Smith & Hind, 2008). It is recommended that the agency increase their use of targeting in traffic patrols, particularly with roadside RDT’s, and that patrols utilise this demographic profile to assist them.

References Adams, K., Smith, L., & Hind, N. (2008). Drug driving among police detainees in Australia. Canberra, Australia: Australian Institute of Criminology. Retrieved from https://aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi357 Aitken, C., Kerger, M., & Crofts, N. (2000). Drivers Who Use Illicit Drugs: Behaviour and Perceived Risks. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 7(1), 39-50. doi: 10.1080/dep.7.1.39.50 Australian Institute of Criminology. (2008). Drug Driving in Australia. Canberra, Australia: Australian Institute of Criminology. Retrieved from https://aic.gov.au/publications/cfi/cfi173 Boorman, M. C. (2007). Random Drug Testing of Drivers in Victoria. Australian Police Journal, 61(1), 20-24. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. (2013). Do You Know… Alcohol, Other Drugs and Driving. Ontario, Canada: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www.camh.ca/en/education/about/camh_publications/Documents/ Flat_PDFs/dyk_alcolhol_drugs_driving.pdf

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Compton, R. P. & Berning, A. (2015). Drug and alcohol crash risk. Washington, United States: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Retrieved from https://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/812117-Drug_and_Alcohol_ Crash_Risk.pdf Donald, A., Pointer, S., & Weekley, J. (2006). Risk perception and drug driving among illicit drug users in Australia. Parkside, Australia: Drug & Alcohol Services South Australia. Retrieved from http://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/729f0a 804f78a6eeb462ffc4163822ed/Monograph+18-DASSA-Feb2013.pdf?MOD= AJPERES&CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE-729f0a804f78a6eeb462ffc416 3822ed-lAxANXW Drummer, O. H., Gerostamoulos, J., Batziris, H., Chu, M., Caplehorn, J., Robertson, M. D., & Swann, P. (2004). The involvement of drugs in drivers of motor vehicles killed in Australian road traffic crashes. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 36(2), 239-248. doi: 10.1016/S0001-4575(02)00153-7 Goldsmid, S., Coghlan, S., & Patterson, E. (2015). Findings from the DUMA program: Drink and drug driving among police detainees. Canberra, Australia: Australian Institute of Criminology. Retrieved from https://aic.gov.au/publications/rip/rip39 Road Safety Commission. (n.d.). Drug Driving. Retrieved from http://rsc.wa.gov.au/YourSafety/Safety-Topics/Drug-driving Road Safety Commission. (2009). Road Safety Strategy: To Reduce Road Trauma in Western Australia 2008-2020. Perth, Australia: Office of Road Safety. Retrieved from https://rsc.wa.gov.au/RSC/media/Documents/About%20Us/Towards %20Zero/towards-zero-strategy.pdf Road Safety Commission. (2016). 2016 Summary: Preliminary fatal and critical injuries on Western Australian roads. Perth, Australia: Road Safety Commission. Retrieved from https://rsc.wa.gov.au/RSC/media/Documents/Road%20Data/Statistics/ Annual%20crash%20statistics/annual-prelim-crash-statistics-2016.pdf Road Traffic Act 1974 (WA) Schulze, H., Schumacher, M., Urmeew, R., Auerbach, K., Alvarez, J., Bernhoft, I. M., de Gier, H., Hagenzieker, M., Houwing, S., Knoche, A., Pilgerstorfer, M., & Zlender, B. (2012). Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, Alcohol and Medicines in Europe – findings from the DRUID project. Lisbon, Portugal: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Retrieved from http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/ attachements.cfm/att_192773_EN_TDXA12006ENN.pdf Scott, E. (2017, January 31). Drug-driving charges climb in Canberra as fewer people caught drinking behind the wheel. ABC News. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/ 2017-01-31/drug-driving-boom-as-fewer-people-caught-drinking-canberra/8224708...