Australia is currently serving as host to one of the most sweeping enforcement experiments in recent history, submitting drivers to random drug and alcohol screenings without probable cause.

The rest of the world is watching closely while Victoria Police have announced they will receive an additional $10 million in funding to provide more drug testing devices to be used road side. This means an expected 40,000 people will be tested each year at random by 2012.

The introduction of more drug test equipment comes in response to the rise in use of illicit drugs prior to getting behind the wheel. About 25% of current roadway fatalities can be blamed on drug abuse in Australia. In fact, today, there are more drivers on the road in Australia with illicit drugs in their system than with too much alcohol in their blood. 

Last year, over 22,000 random tests were administered, leading to about 350 arrests for illicit substance abuse. The process starts when an officer implements a breath test, similar to those used for alcohol detection. If the test indicates a likelihood for illegal drugs, then a suspect is taken to custody in a police car or test bus. There, a blood sample is taken to be sent away.

The suspect is only charged once the blood test is analyzed. The police need no cause whatsoever to test an individual in Australia, a policy that is being considered by Canadian authorities as well. Internationally, human rights advocates question whether this is a violation of illegal search & seizure protections.

In the United States, random testing has been determined to be a violation of 4th Amendment rights. However, if the policies prove effective in other countries, there may be a push to adopt them domestically despite this conflict.