One in seven Australians discovered driving on drugs during police operation

Australian police ssaw drug driving is seemingly on the rise, with one in seven drivers testing positive for illicit substances over the course of a five-day operation.

Victorian Police removed 300 drivers from the road after they failed a roadside drug test, in all 2,220 drivers were tested during the period.

"The results from the weekend are a real worry to us," Victorian Police Assistant Commissioner Doug Fryer told News Corp on Thursday.

"Just because the operation is finished, doesn't mean we are going to stop. We're ramping up our focus on drug driving, so those who continue to use drugs and drive will be caught.

"Those who choose to use illicit drugs need to understand the need to separate drugs and driving - the two must be completely separate to protect yourself and the community.

"The alternative is killing themselves or someone else while under the influence of drugs."

The police blitz, code named "Operation Furlong" which sought to minimize road trauma over the Melbourne Cup holiday period, also conducted 154,000 roadside breath tests, in a bid to weed out drunk drivers.

The results were much more positive with only one in 527 drivers tested over Australia's legal limit for a blood alcohol reading at .05.

Fryer said police detected another 3,000 speeding drivers, 400 distracted mobile phone users and 300 seat belt infringements, while 11,000 unregistered cars and almost 700 unlicensed or suspended drivers were also pulled off the road. Endit