The NSW government's move to increase roadside drug tests has tripled the number of motorists being busted for driving under the influence of illicit substances.
The number of charges finalised in court rose 320 per cent between the financial years of 2014/15 and 2015/16, from 2331 to 9808, according to a NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research report released on Tuesday.
The state government announced In December 2015 it would triple roadside testing to about 100,000 tests a year.
"It seems likely that the increase in charges is a reflection of increased law enforcement activity rather than an increase in actual drug driving," Tuesday's report states.
The rapid increase in detections had the potential to significantly increase the workload of local courts, the report warns.
The figures show men are most likely to be caught drug driving, accounting for just under 80 per cent of defendants. Almost three-quarters were aged between 18 and 39.
The report showed the rate of prosecution was two times higher in regional NSW than the state average, while the Richmond Tweed area had a conviction rate five times above the average.
Most offenders - some 62.5 per cent - received a fine with the average penalty being $495.
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