Roadside drug driving testing has begun in the South, and Dunedin’s top road policing officer says it has so far turned up some ‘‘surprising results’’. Changes to the law have enabled New Zealand police to conduct roadside drug driving testing, joining Australia and the United Kingdom. Testing for cannabis, methamphetamine, MDMA and cocaine began in Wellington last year and became operational nationwide on Wednesday. Southern road policing manager Acting Inspector Karl Hemmingsen said staff began training about two weeks ago. About 100 tests had already been conducted. So far, the testing had turned up ‘‘some surprising results’’, Acting Insp Hemmingsen said. ‘‘We’re getting quite a few positives. ‘‘Some people you would never think are on drugs are coming back [as being] on drugs ... just normal people you would never think would be on drugs.’’ The testing was random and based on a pre-selected criteria, such as blue cars with a seven on their number plate. Acting Sergeant Chris McAnally shows 83-year-old Kathy her negative drug driving test results at a checkpoint in North Rd. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH That meant police were catching people they would not necessarily have expected to have recently used drugs. ‘‘It’s probably not a surprise to them, because they would have known if they had been on drugs, but it’s a surprise to us.’’ Police could stop any driver and require them to complete a drug screening test, which involved wiping a small device pad down the driver’s tongue. A negative test meant no drugs were detected at or above the limit indicating recent use and the driver was free to go, assuming all other procedures were complete. If positive, a lab test was required and a saliva sample was collected. The screening test was also repeated, and if both were positive the driver would be forbidden from driving for 12 hours. If the lab test was positive, the driver would receive an infringement notice — 50 demerit points and a $200 fine if positive for one drug; 75 demerits and a $400 fine for two or more drugs. Acting Insp Hemmingsen said roadside drug testing was a great new tool in the police repertoire. ‘‘The last thing we want is for someone to be seriously injured or a fatality, because someone’s out there driving while they’re impaired on drugs or alcohol. ‘‘The less people doing that, the safer our community is.’’ tim.scott@odt.co.nz
