Bendigo police report a rise in drug-affected driving

Despite less traffic being on the road, the number of drug-affected drivers appears on to be on the rise in Bendigo.

The local police crew detected 290 traffic offenders during the Easter weekend, and 13 drivers tested positive for drugs.

Six offenders were prosecuted for drunk driving, with one having a blood alcohol content of 0.265.

Three drivers refused to undergo alcohol testing.

The risk of coronavirus transmission prompted the police to avoid roadside testing.

In total, they conducted 240 breath tests.

Ian Brooks, a senior sergeant, was disappointed to see these kinds of results.

He thinks that traffic levels were down due to people complying with the social gathering restrictions.

Brooks reports that the amount of people driving under the influence of alcohol is not unusual for this time of year, with numbers matching police expectations.

But, he is disappointed to find that so many people disregard traffic safety by introducing unnecessary risks to themselves and others by drinking and driving.

Comparing the results with the number of alcohol and drug tests conducted, the findings cause him concern.

On the positive side, there were fewer collisions compared to last year’s Easter holidays, which Brooks believes is because of the decreased volumes of traffic on the roads.

Finally, this year’s Easter had a zero-death toll, so we can conclude on a positive note.