ROADSIDE TESTS FOR DRUGS SET FOR MANITOBA DRIVERS

WINNIPEG -- Manitoba drivers suspected of being high on drugs will be asked
to perform a specific series of tasks, including standing on one leg while
counting out loud, under new regulations approved by the NDP government.

"The tests are, by nature, divided attention tests," David Greening, a
senior Justice Department policy analyst, said in an interview. "(Police)
can determine if a person is impaired by how they perform on the tests."

The new regulations stem from amendments to the provincial Highway Traffic
Act approved by the legislature last spring which are intended to crack
down on motorists who drive under the influence of drugs.

While police can use breathalysers to test for alcohol impairment, they do
not have machines to test for drug impairment. So the province has had to
develop a standardized motor skills test for suspected drug users.