Roadside drug-testing scheme that was scrapped in March is being rejuvenated – with a $400 penalty for offenders
Three new press statements have been despatched by ministers since Point of Order last reported on how they are spending our money or otherwise affecting our lives – but just one has a dollar sign in its contents.
Alas, that dollar sign does not give a measure of the costs being heaped on taxpayers by the government’s flurry of initiatives before New Zealanders go to the polls in October.
Rather, it tells us how much motorists will be penalised if they offend against a new drugs/driving rule.
This initiative was announced by Ministers Damien O’Connor (Transport) and Ginny Andersen (Police and Justice).
It involves changes to the roadside drug-testing regime
“… to ensure Police have the right tools to get dangerous drug-impaired drivers off the road.”
Point of Order was surprised to learn we had a roadside drug-testing regime.
We recall Newshub earlier this year reporting news about things going awry in the roadside drug-testing domain under the heading …
This initiative was announced by Ministers Damien O’Connor (Transport) and Ginny Andersen (Police and Justice).
It involves changes to the roadside drug-testing regime
“… to ensure Police have the right tools to get dangerous drug-impaired drivers off the road.”
Point of Order was surprised to learn we had a roadside drug-testing regime.
We recall Newshub earlier this year reporting news about things going awry in the roadside drug-testing domain under the heading …
Saliva roadside drug testing scrapped because ‘tech doesn’t exist in the world’
Officials have had to backtrack on a key roadside drug-testing strategy, as the technology required doesn’t exist.
It’s part of the Government’s ‘Road to Zero’ campaign and was supposed to be enforced by Police from next Saturday.
Saliva tests were a key strategy of the Government to get drugged drivers off our roads.
However, officials have now had to make a major U-turn.
That was early in March.
Testing kits had been due to roll out at that time to enable Police to enforce the Government’s drug driving amendment act.
But in a statement provided to Newshub, Associate Transport Minister Kiri Allan said Police advised they were unable to find the technology capable of providing saliva roadside testing.
“The tech doesn’t exist in the world, and Police did advise the select committee of this from the start, so it’s not Police’s fault,” Police Association President Chris Cahill said.
The statement from O’Connor and Andersen says the Government is committed to keeping our roads safe
“… and that’s why we’ve agreed to make amendments to the roadside testing regime to ensure Police have the resources they need to keep the public safe.
“Police can already conduct compulsory impairment tests on drivers they have good cause to suspect have used drugs. Under this new approach, positive saliva tests will be sent to the lab for evidential testing before an infringement notice is issued. Drivers who have two positive screening tests will be banned from driving for 12 hours.
“The introduction of roadside screening tests is a sensible, practical move that will detect qualifying drugs and help remove impaired drivers from behind the wheel.”
Further down the press statement, Ginny Andersen acknowledged Police had not been able to roll-out the current regime.
She said the changes would ensure that roadside drug testing can go ahead as originally intended.
Each year Police send around 500 blood samples to the lab following roadside compulsory impairment tests, she said.
“Roadside screening tests will complement that existing process and will mean that Police will be able to drug test more drivers.
“Even though roadside testing wasn’t rolled out in March, since then Police have had new powers to deter impaired driving on our roads, including new criminal and infringement offences that aligned with the risk that impaired driving poses.
“These amendments also introduce a new offence for people who refuse an oral fluid screening test…”
And here we get our dollar sign.
The new offence is punishable by an infringement fee of $400 and 75 demerit points.
The announcement is accompanied on the government’s official website by news of compulsory teaching requirements for maths, reading and writing and a new agreement between Air New Zealand and Te Pūkenga that will provide a pathway to work in aviation engineering in the upper South Island.
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Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
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