Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Act to come into effect tomorrow

The new Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Act comes into effect tomorrow. Photo / NZME

New infringements and tougher penalties are in line for drivers found to be driving while impaired when the new Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Act comes into effect tomorrow.

For the first time, drugs that impair the ability to drive safely have been ring-fenced by law and drug concentration levels introduced that enable additional enforcement measures and penalties.

Assistant Police Commissioner Bruce O’Brien said, “This is a significant step against reducing the harm caused on our roads by drug driving.”

The goal of the legislation is to detect and deter drug driving, a behaviour that potentially impacts the safety of everyone on our roads.

“Data collected from fatal crashes highlight the presence of impairing drugs in a driver’s blood is now generally about equal to alcohol – this has more than doubled since 2015,” said O’Brien.

There were 93 people killed in crashes in 2021 where a driver was found to have the presence of drugs - nearly a third of all fatalities that year.

“Police are ready to enforce these new laws and we will continue to use our current practice to identify drivers using drugs by carrying out compulsory impairment tests (CIT.) If a driver fails this test, they would be required to give an evidential blood test for analysis which can determine what enforcement action is deemed appropriate for the offence,” O’Brien said.

After police undertook a rigorous testing process to identify a suitable oral fluid testing device to carry out random roadside drug-driving testing, it was found that there was no device available to meet the criteria and intent of the legislation.

O’Brien said random roadside drug-driving testing will still be implemented following “amendments made to the legislation, which is likely to include a confirmatory evidential laboratory test similar to how devices are used in other jurisdictions, including Australia”.

“Partnering agencies are working together on implementing the Road to Zero strategy and ultimately, we want to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries that happen on our roads, causing devastation to families and whānau,” he said.

Key changes from the legislation:

• Introduction of Schedule 5 to the Act with 25 listed qualifying drugs that have the highest risk of impairing the ability to drive safely

• New enforcement levels (or limits) with a lower (threshold) and higher (high-risk) level for each listed qualifying drug in Schedule 5

• The blood test analysis will now confirm either the presence or level of a qualifying drug

• Introduction of infringement-level offences for drivers between the threshold and high-risk levels

• Tougher penalties for driving after consuming qualifying drugs, mixing with other qualifying drugs, and/or alcohol

• 82 new offences.