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Roadside Drug Tests Unreliable: Research
ABC Online | 07/10/06

Overseas research has raised questions about the effectiveness of Victoria and South Australia's new roadside drug tests for drivers.

The research took three years to complete and examined how international police forces used several saliva swab drug testing devices.

In trials, no device was found to be reliable enough for roadside screening of drivers, including the Securetec DrugWipe, which is currently used in Victoria and South Australia.

Researcher Alain Verstraete says the Securetec often failed to detect cannabis.

"If I remember well, only 30 per cent of the positives were picked up," he said.

The device also fails to meet the 95 per cent accuracy level originally demanded by the South Australia Police.

But a South Australia Police spokeswoman says the equipment was acquired through a comprehensive tender process and was purchased to meet its requirements.


Police Stand By Roadside Drug Tests
ABC Online | 07/11/06

South Australian police have defended the purchase of a saliva swab drug testing device, despite a European study casting doubts over its reliability.

The trial found that the Securetec drug swipe wrongly gave clear readings in 30 per cent of samples where cannabis was present.

But Assistant Police Commissioner Grant Stevens says the devices are fit for use in roadside screening in South Australia.

He says the research from Europe was based on lower levels of cannabis than those for which police are screening.

"The intention of our program is to detect people whilst they would still potentially be affected by those drugs," he said.

"As opposed to detecting somebody who may have used drugs up to 12 hours or longer prior to driving a motor vehicle."

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