MANITOBA POLICE TO USE MULTI-TASKING TESTS FOR POTHEADS

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.

The new regulations spell out three specific tasks that officers must
make motorists perform.

The drivers will first be told to look at an object in the officer's
hand and follow it as the officer moves it.

Drivers will then be required to walk in a straight line while
counting the number of steps out loud, turning around, and taking the
same number of steps in return.

Finally, the drivers will have to raise one foot and count out loud
while keeping their eyes on the raised foot.

Having a standard test across the province should ensure that drivers
are treated fairly, said Greening.