Summarised by Centrist
The government’s goal of conducting 50,000 roadside drug tests annually is part of a broader $1.3b Road Policing Investment Programme. However, unlike alcohol breath tests, which clearly indicate impairment, current drug tests cannot definitively determine if a driver is impaired.
Previous efforts to introduce random roadside drug testing hit snags when it was discovered that no device could accurately and consistently measure.
This led to the introduction of a lab test as a backup, described by some as a “workaround.” The new regime, which includes the use of “oral fluid tests” similar to those in Australia, has lifted concerns about potential injustices.
Critics, including the Drug Foundation and members of the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, argue that medicinal cannabis users and those on certain medications could be unfairly penalised, even if they are not impaired. Critics are also concerned about the potential for disproportionate targeting of Māori.
