Pubdate: Thu, 22 Jan 2004
Source: Bay Of Plenty Times (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2004 Bay Of Plenty Times.
Contact:  http://www.mytown.co.nz/bayofplenty/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2926
Author: James Smith
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

BAY DRIVERS TARGET FOR RANDOM DRUG TESTS

MOTORISTS will be tested for drugs at roadside checkpoints in the Western 
Bay under a new national trial this year.

The pilot scheme will run in the Bay of Plenty and several other districts 
at once for between three and six months.

The trial's aim is mainly to assess how bad the problem of driving under 
the influence of drugs was _ but police warned that those caught would 
still be charged.

Acting Inspector Kevin Taylor, police road manager for the Bay of Plenty, 
today confirmed the pilot scheme would be introduced in the Western Bay.

Police said that trained staff would be 95 per cent accurate in determining 
if people were on drugs.

Police would examine drivers' pupil dilation and those suspected of having 
used drugs would have to do coordination tests like walking in a straight line.

Drivers would be taken to hospital for further tests to confirm police 
suspicions.

At least three fatal crashes in the Bay had occurred because of drivers 
being under the influence of drugs, he said.

Mr Taylor refused to say where the checkpoints would be introduced.

"They would happen anywhere, any place, any time."

Police national road safety manager Superintendent Steve Fitzgerald said: 
"We would likely go to areas where we thought the problem (with drugs and 
driving) was bad, like Northland and the Bay of Plenty . . . then we might 
also go to areas where we think the problem isn't as bad to get a good idea 
of how big the problem is," Mr Fitzgerald said.

Waikato and Christchurch were understood to be other districts being 
considered.

Under The Land Transport Act it is an offence to drive under the influence 
of a drug to the extent of being "incapable of having proper control".

It is not illegal to drive with drugs in your system and the threshold to 
charge people _ as being "incapable of driving" _ is something police are 
considering.

Mr Fitzgerald said police were waiting to see the results of a trial in 
Victoria, Australia _ where 7000 heavy vehicle drivers were being tested 
over a year from July _ before they made a final decision.

The drug testing move follows the revelation that the Bay of Plenty has the 
country's highest rate of recidivist drink drivers _ 1400.

Meanwhile, next month a representative of Britain's Transport Research 
Laboratory will visit New Zealand to discuss drug testing drivers with 
police, health, Government and drug agency officials.

Mr Fitzgerald said the representative would access the problem then write a 
suggested action plan. He added that he hoped police would be drug testing 
drivers throughout the country within the next two years.