Husband welcomes drug-driving law change after crash that claimed wife

Steven Dennis is welcoming a significant shift in Queensland's drug-driving laws, four years after a driver under the influence of methamphetamine killed his wife, Kathleen, and caused a traumatic brain injury to their son, Luke. The driver, Carla Anne Lutgenau, was convicted of dangerous driving causing death and grievous bodily harm but acquitted of drug-driving charges despite high levels of meth in her system.

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We're fixing a loophole for drivers who drive dangerously with meth in their system.

This legal "loophole" outraged Mr. Dennis, prompting him to advocate for change. Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington announced new bills that will be introduced to parliament. These bills will ensure that the presence of meth in a dangerous driver's system is treated as an aggravating factor, even without proving impairment.

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There is no safe limit. There is no test for impairment.

Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg highlighted that drug driving now surpasses drink driving in causing road fatalities in Queensland, emphasizing the lack of a reliable test for drug impairment. Mr. Dennis expressed his relief and belief that the new laws are a "step in the right direction," serving as a deterrent against the "scourge" of drug use on the roads.

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We need a deterrent. It's a scourge on our culture that this sort of drug-taking exists.

While the legislative change offers a sense of justice for Mr. Dennis, he acknowledges it cannot bring back his wife or fully restore his son's quality of life. His primary motivation is to prevent other families from enduring such profound loss and trauma. The new laws aim to close a gap that previously allowed drivers with dangerous drug levels to evade conviction on drug-related charges.

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Our lives have changed forever, and Kathleen's life is no longer here, and Luke's life is beyond recognition and he's having a really hard time. It's just something I don't want anybody else to have to go through.