Related: One in four drug driving in Bendigo
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BENDIGO police say the number of people caught drug driving on the weekend was “unacceptable” and have vowed to continue to target motorists in the future.
Ten people were caught driving under the influence of ice in Bendigo, while others were caught breaking a number of road rules.
Senior Constable Dave Sanders said it was a worrying result for a routine weekend.
“We did not have any extra members out, just our normal crew doing their normal job, so it was pretty amazing that 10 people returned positive tests for methamphetamines,” he said.
“We know it is a problem and so we are trying to detect as many as we can - we’re trying to prosecute as many as we can but we’re also trying to educate people to stop them getting behind the wheel in the first place.”
A 30-year-old Maiden Gully woman was caught driving an unregistered car while under the influence of ice. She refused to accompany police back to the station and was told not to drive.
Five hours later, police spotted her on Golf Links Road, where she refused to come back to the station for a second time.
The woman faces a number of charges and will appear in court at a later date.
A 25-year-old man also refused to accompany police back to the station after he tested positive to driving on ice. He was also charged with failing to display P-plates and failing to carry his licence while driving.
A third person – this time a Kangaroo Flat man, 38 – chose not to accompany police back to the station after being caught driving on ice.
Senior Constable Sanders said the different age groups was also concerning for police.
“What was also surprising is that you are seeing people from all age groups and genders, young people, yes, but also people in their 40s and 50s,” he said.
“With alcohol, you know how long it will be in your system so you know when you can get behind the wheel.
“Meth is made in someone’s bathroom. You don’t know what’s in it and you don’t know how long it will stay in your system.”
Police also caught a Kangaroo Flat man, 18, driving under the influence of ice despite only having his licence for 17 days. He was also charged with not wearing a seat belt.
A 24-year-old driver tested positive to ice and cannabis, while a 46-year-old woman was caught driving on ice and in possession of a drug of dependence.
Not only was a 37-year-old woman driving on ice, she was also caught driving an unregistered vehicle.
Several of the drivers were from out of town, raising fears they had been drug driving across an extended part of the state.
They included a 52-year-old Lara woman, a 38-year-old Abbotsford woman and a 22-year-old man from Bridgewater who all tested positive to ice while driving.