Police in South Australia to test drivers for cocaine use from next year [Video]

South Australia will roll out roadside drug testing for cocaine from next year as the prevalence of the drug increases across the country.

From early 2025, police in the state will use a new device to perform saliva tests, with drivers to be selected in a “random context”.

“In 2023, 31 lives lost and 112 serious injuries on South Australian roads were due to driver or rider testing positive to drugs,” Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said.

“The number of serious crashes involving drivers with cocaine has increased in the past five years.

“Between 2018 and 2023, cocaine was implicated in nine fatal crashes — this is unacceptable.

“It is crucial that drug testing includes cocaine to keep these dangerous drivers from our roads.

“While the effects of cocaine are relatively short-lived in terms of how …