John MacDonald: Roadside drug testing? Great. Will the police cope? Mmmm

I’m sure you’ll tell me if you think I’m stuck in the past, but I reckon that with the police now being expected to do roadside drug tests —as well as everything else— I think we should bring back the old MOT. The old traffic cops.  

Officially, it was known as the traffic safety service, but we all knew it as the MOT.   

And, yes, I know the police are struggling as it is to get the 500 new cops by the end of the year that the government has promised. But if they are now going to be expected to do thousands of roadside drug tests —as well as the alcohol tests and writing out tickets for speeding drivers— then I think they should create a separate, dedicated traffic division.  

The way the roadside drug testing is going to work is that drivers will do a saliva test. If it’s positive, it’ll be sent to the lab for further testing. As well as that, an extra test will be done on the spot and, if that’s positive as well, the police will order them to stay off the road for 12 hours.  

As someone who thinks we should have a zero alcohol limit for drivers, anything to try and catch the clowns who drive stoned is a good thing in my book. Especially when you consider the carnage that has been caused by drivers high on drugs.  

Here’s a stat that proves it: in 2022 alone, 112 people died in crashes where drugs were involved. That was about 30% of all road deaths that year.  

So the MOT was merged with the police in 1992 and, considering the fact that police are going to be expected to do 50,000 roadside drug tests each year as well as more roadside alcohol tests, change is needed.  

The Government’s told them that instead of doing 3 million alcohol tests a year, they’re going to be expected to do 3.3 million – so an extra 300,000.  

So 300,000 more alcohol tests, plus the 50,000 roadside drug tests.  

I imagine Police Minister Mark Mitchell would say that the police already have a highway patrol, but I don’t think that’s going to be sufficient long-term.   

And it’s why I think we should have a genuine, dedicated traffic policing service. 

The other aspect of this too is that the Government has told the police that if they don’t meet these roadside testing targets —for the alcohol and for the drugs— they won't get all their funding.  

So, full marks to the political parties that voted this drug-testing legislation through, but I think we’re setting the police up to fail if we don't have a re-think about how all this testing is going to be done.  

And, for me, the best way to ensure this new law lives up to its promise is to have a dedicated traffic policing service. Like we used to.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from NEWSTALKSB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Now I know that you will. I'm sure you'll tell
me if you think I'm stuck in the past here,
But I reckon that with the police now expected to
do roadside drug tests as well as everything else, then
I think we should bring back the old MOT, the
old traffic cops Ministry of Transport. Although officially though it

(00:33):
was known as the Traffic Safety Service, but we all
knew it as the MOT those of us who were
around them. They had the cops on motorbikes and in
the black and white patrol cars. And yes, I do
know that the police are struggling, struggling as it is
to get the five hundred new cops by the end

(00:54):
of the year that the government has promised. They're supposed
to supposed to be five hundred extra cops by November.
They've got thirteen so far. But here's the rub. If
the police are now going to be expect to do
thousands of roadside drug tests as well as the alcohol
tests and riding up tickets for speeding drivers and all
of that, that's what's going to be happening, then I

(01:17):
think creating a separate, dedicated traffic division just what we
used to have. I think that's the way we're going
to have to go now. The way the roadside drug
testing is going to work that drivers will do a
saliva test and if that's positive, it'll be sent to
the lab for further testing. As well as that an
extra test will be done on the spot and if

(01:40):
that's positive as well, then the police will order the
drivers to stay off the road for twelve hours. A
lot of work. So back to the old MOT. It
was merged with the police in nineteen ninety two, and
I remember that the existing police officers, I think they

(02:03):
saw the old MOT guys as some second rate, second
rate citizens or second rate cops. But listening to Transport
Minister Chris Bishop talking to Mike this morning, I couldn't
help thinking that it needs to make a comeback. Now.
Have a listen to this and see if you think
the same, especially in relation to the number of drug
tests the government expects the police to do.

Speaker 3 (02:25):
The police are going to do about fifty thousand oral
roadside fluid drug tests per year. They've funded to do
that when we've instructed them to do that. It's another
tool in the tool box. About thirty percent of deaths
and serious injuries on our roads are connected to drug use.
It's actually quite a high number when you think about it,
and you know, when you take a step back and
you say, well, we've had thirty years of blood alcohol testing,

(02:46):
breath testing which people are pretty familiar with but controversial
when it first came in, but it's hard to imagine
the roads without it now. I think we'll look back
in five to ten years and say, you know what,
it was pretty crazy that for a long time you
could get high, get behind the wheel, and you could
never get caught, and there.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
Was no punishment for the will I think that I
think we will to agree with them. And as someone
who thinks we should have a zero ELC whole limit
for drivers, anything to try and catch the clowns who
drive stoned, that's a great thing in my book, and
it can't come quick enough, especially when you consider the
carnage that is caused by drivers high on drugs. Here's
a stat that proves it. In twenty twenty two alone

(03:23):
and one year, one hundred and twelve people died in
crashes where drugs were involved, and that was about thirty
percent of all road deaths that year one hundred and twelve.
So from the end of this year, the police are
going to have to do fifty thousand roadside drug tests
a year on top of everything else they already do.
What's more, there's more, they're also going to be expected

(03:46):
to do more roadside alcohol tests as well, so they
haven't just got the drug testing on their plate. The
government's also told them that instead of doing three million
alcohol tests a year as they're supposed to do at
the moment, they're going to be expected to do three
point three million, so an extra three hundred thousand, So
three hundred thousand more alcohol tests plus the fifty thousand

(04:08):
roadside drug tests. Now, I imagine if I was talking to
Police Minister Mark Mitchell about this right now, he would
say something along the lines of, oh, the police already
have a highway patrol, but I don't think that's going
to be sufficient long term, and it's why I think
we should have a genuine dedicated traffic policing service, or
a traffic safety service, as the MOT was officially known.

(04:33):
The other aspect of this tool is that the Government's
told the police that if they don't meet these roadside
testing targets for the alcohol and for the drugs. If
they don't deliver the numbers, they won't get all their funding.
And seventy two million dollars of funding is going to
be dependent on the cops doing the full fifty thousand
roadside drug tests a year and the full three point

(04:53):
three million roadside alcohol tests a year. So it's a
big call. And look full marks to the political parties
that voted for this drug testing legislation, the National Act
in New Zealand first Labor, the Greens into Party mar
By the way, they didn't support it. So full marks
from me for the politicians voting for it and getting

(05:16):
it through. But I actually think we are setting the
police up to fail if we don't have a rethink
about how all this testing is going to be done.
And for me, the best way to ensure that this
new law lives up to its promise is to have
a dedicated traffic policing service like we used to.

Speaker 1 (05:34):
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