Tasmania Police will soon have more time to test drivers for blood and alcohol, Police Minister Michael Ferguson has confirmed.
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Under current state legislation, police have three hours from the time of a crash to take a person’s blood.
However, Mr Ferguson said reforms to the laws, which will give police more time to carry out tests, were close to being finalised.
“The regulations to support the reformed Road Safety Act, passed by parliament late last year, are very close to being finalised by our legal team and will be fully operational by the end of the year,” he said.
“The changes will absolutely include an increase to the time available for police to test suspect drivers for drug and alcohol consumption.”
Senior Sergeant Jason Jones said police were unable to carry out blood tests on the driver they believed to have caused a fatal crash in Launceston on Friday.
The 22-year-old man fled the crash scene about 2am and was located by police in the Newstead area about 5am.
Jessica Willard
Being a health reporter to me is about more than just reporting the problems. It's about asking why they are happening in the first place and what needs to change to fix it.
Being a health reporter to me is about more than just reporting the problems. It's about asking why they are happening in the first place and what needs to change to fix it.
