Police are ramping up preparations for the nationwide rollout of roadside drug testing, with training set to begin across the country in the coming weeks.
Testing was rolled out in the Wellington District from December 15,
Under the new system, police – using new oral-fluid testing devices – will be able to stop any motor vehicle to screen the driver for the presence of four key drugs.
The devices will screen for four drugs, including THC (cannabis), methamphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy) and cocaine.
Superintendent Steve Greally, director of road policing, said the phased rollout already underway in Wellington was helping to shape how the testing would be implemented nationwide.
"Police continues to gather valuable operational knowledge from the rollout occurring in Wellington that will guide training and how we implement and deploy roadside drug testing across the rest of New Zealand."
Staff across the country would begin training in the coming weeks, Greally said, with a heavy focus on training selected teams across all police districts between May and June.
"As a district is trained, they will begin implementing drug driving testing with the aim that police will begin testing at the roadside nationally by mid-2026."
From July 1, police would be required to conduct 50,000 roadside drug tests during the fiscal year as part of the Road Policing Investment Programme (2024-27).
"Police will be able to stop a driver anytime and anywhere," Greally said.
"Police will be operating alcohol and drug checkpoints, and generally, a driver will be tested for alcohol first. The introduction of roadside drug testing aligns with our existing ability to test for alcohol at the roadside."
Greally added early public feedback from Wellington had been positive, though it remained too early to identify trends from the results thus far.
How roadside drug testing works
Under the new regime, police will be able to stop any motor vehicle at any time to screen the driver for the presence of drugs.
The first roadside screening test will involve a quick tongue swipe, which will take several minutes. Most drivers who return a negative test result will be free to go within around five minutes.
If the test is positive, officers will take a saliva sample for laboratory analysis. While the roadside device detects four key drugs, the laboratory can test for up to 25 substances.
It will be followed by a second roadside screening test. If the test is positive, the driver will be prohibited from driving for 12 hours to address any immediate road-safety risk. Drivers who return a positive laboratory result will be issued an infringement notice.
Drivers who refuse or fail to comply with a roadside drug test will also be issued an infringement notice.
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