 | Drug Testing: Voluntary Drug Testing for Drivers Begins |
 New Zealand police have begun a voluntary trial of officers at drink-driving checkpoints judging whether drivers are impaired by drugs reports NORML News Winter 2004.
Drivers will first be asked to undergo a standard Breathalyser test. If the driver passes but in the opinion of the officer appears to be under the influence of something, drivers will be asked to perform some ‚divided attention' coordination tests. If the driver agrees and fails to perform these tasks to the officer's satisfaction, a doctor will be asked to give a second opinion that the driver is impaired.
For the coordination test, drivers will be asked to do tasks such as a) walk in a straight line, b) stand on one leg, c) hold their heads back and touch their noses, and d) close their eyes and estimate 30 seconds.
Taking part in the trial is completely voluntary and police are counting on the ignorance, overconfidence or irrationality of drug users for compliance.
In the UK, where trials were conducted for five years before a law change this year made the testing compulsory, only 3 to 4 percent of drivers asked to undergo the tests refused. However, 38 percent of those who agreed to be tested actually failed!
NORML is concerned that the subjective opinions of potentially biased police officers will be relied upon to prove impairment and advises drivers to refuse to perform the test.
International research has consistently shown that the use of cannabis may not actually cause impairment for drivers. See our article on page 13 for the latest drugs & driving research.
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