DRUGGED DRIVING BILL INTRODUCED TO PARLIAMENT

Tougher laws for people who drive under the influence of drugs have
been introduced into Parliament.

Transport Minister Annette King said once the Land Transport Amendment
Act was passed it would allow police to conduct road side tests on
suspected drugged drivers.

These would include touching your nose and balancing on one
leg.

If the driver failed this they would face a blood test which would
pick up a range of drugs including cannabis.

A positive blood test would result in the person being charged with a
new offence of driving while impaired by drugs with punishments
similar to those faced by drunk drivers.

People who abused or misused prescription drugs would also face
prosecution, though it would be an allowable defence if the drugs were
being used as directed by a doctor.

Ms King said the results of the test would not be used to make a
prosecution of being under the influence of drugs under the Misuse of
Drugs Act.

A police spokesman said drivers suspected of using drugs could be
searched and prosecuted for possession under drugs laws.

Ms King said it was currently illegal to drive if "incapable" due to
drugs use, but this had proved too high a bar for prosecution.

Police expected the new law there would be around 400 prosecutions a
year at an estimated total cost of $640,000.

There are about 29,000 prosecutions a year for drunk
driving.

Police believed that most drugged drivers would be picked up when
stopped at "booze bus" roadside checks or when spotted driving
erratically.

They would not be conducting campaigns to randomly stop people who
were driving normally to see if they were using drugs.

Police believed that many drunk drivers who had fatal accidents were
also under the influence of drugs.

It was estimated that in 2006 there were 12 road deaths attributable
to drugs.

Ms King said the bill would make it to select committee with the
support of New Zealand First, United Future and possibly the National
party.

The Greens opposed the bill because it did not agree with an allowable
defence for prescribed drugs, she said.

NZ First support was at this stage limited to allowing the bill to
make progress and not its final passage into law.

Ms King faced a balancing act getting the bill through the House,
because NZ First had wanted evidence of the use of drugs gathered from
the road testing to be able to be used for prosecutions under drugs
laws.

The Greens had opposed this.

Cannabis law reform group NORML said the bill would result in people
who were no danger on the road being prosecuted because the tests
would pick up the use of cannabis for up to three months after it was
inhaled.

A police spokesman said the test would only pick up the psycho-active
component of cannabis which lingered in the body for a shorter time.