47BA—Driving with prescribed drug in oral fluid or blood
(a)
drive a motor vehicle; or
(b)
attempt to put a motor vehicle in motion,
while a prescribed drug is present in the person's oral fluid or blood.
Penalty:
(a) for
a first offence—a fine of not less than $900 and not more than
$1 300;
(b) for
a second offence—a fine of not less than $1 100 and not more than
$1 600;
(c) for
a third or subsequent offence—a fine of not less than $1 500 and
not more than $2 200.
(1a) If a person
engages in conduct involving a motor vehicle that constitutes an offence
against subsection (1) while a child under the age of 16 years is
present in or on that motor vehicle, the person commits an offence against
this subsection and is liable to the same penalty as is prescribed for an
offence against subsection (1).
(1b) If a person is
charged with an offence against subsection (1a) but the court is not
satisfied that an offence against that subsection has been established beyond
reasonable doubt, the person may be convicted, on that charge, of an offence
against subsection (1) if the court is satisfied that an offence against
subsection (1) has been so established.
(2) Subject to
subsection (3), it is a defence to a charge of an offence against this
section if the defendant proves that the defendant did not knowingly consume
the prescribed drug present in the defendant's oral fluid or blood.
(3)
Subsection (2) does not apply if the defendant consumed the
prescribed drug believing that the defendant was consuming a substance
unlawfully but was mistaken as to, unaware of or indifferent to the identity
of the prescribed drug.
(4) If a court
convicts a person of an offence against this section, the following provisions
apply:
(a) the
court must order that the person be disqualified from holding or obtaining a
driver's licence—
(i)
in the case of a first offence—for such period,
being not less than 6 months, as the court thinks fit;
(ii)
in the case of a second offence—for such period,
being not less than 12 months, as the court thinks fit;
(iii)
in the case of a third offence—for such period,
being not less than 2 years, as the court thinks fit;
(iv)
in the case of a subsequent offence—for such
period, being not less than 3 years, as the court thinks fit;
(b) the
disqualification prescribed by paragraph (a) cannot be reduced or
mitigated in any way or be substituted by any other penalty or sentence
unless, in the case of a first offence, the court is satisfied, by evidence
given on oath, that the offence is trifling, in which case it may order a
period of disqualification that is less than the prescribed minimum period but
not less than 1 month;
(c) if
the person is the holder of a driver's licence—the disqualification
operates to cancel the licence as from the commencement of the period of
disqualification;
(d) the
court may, if it thinks fit to do so, order that conditions imposed by
section 81A or 81AB of the Motor Vehicles Act 1959 on any
driver's licence issued to the person after the period of disqualification be
effective for a period greater than the period prescribed by that section.
(5) In determining
whether an offence is a first, second, third or subsequent offence for the
purposes of this section (other than subsection (6)), any previous drink
driving offence or drug driving offence for which the defendant has been
convicted will be taken into account, but only if the previous offence was
committed within the prescribed period immediately preceding the date on which
the offence under consideration was committed.
(6) If a person aged
16 years or more is alleged to have committed an offence against this section
that is a first offence, the person cannot be prosecuted for that offence
unless the person has been given an expiation notice under the
Expiation of Offences Act 1996 in respect of the offence and allowed the
opportunity to expiate the offence in accordance with that Act.
(7) In determining
whether an offence is a first offence for the purposes of subsection (6),
any previous drink driving offence or drug driving offence for which the
person has been convicted or that the person has expiated will be taken into
account, but only if the previous offence was committed or alleged to have
been committed within the prescribed period immediately preceding the date on
which the offence under consideration was allegedly committed.