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Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced a crackdown on drunk and drugged drivers, setting the police a target of performing 3.3 million roadside alcohol tests a year and 50,000 roadside drug tests a year.

The pledge was part of the Government’s $1.3 billion Road Policing Investment Programme (RPIP) 2024-2027, funded from the most recent Government Policy Statement on Land Transport, which tells NZTA how to spend money raised by fuel taxes and road user charges.

Brown said the plan “lifted the alcohol breath testing target from 3 million tests to 3.3 million tests per year and introduces a new target for at least 65% of alcohol breath tests to be undertaken during the most high and extreme alcohol risk times”.

He said New Zealand’s record at hitting breath test targets had been “inconsistent”.

“Over the past 10 years, there are only two in which police have conducted 3 million tests. Some years have delivered less than half of that number,” Brown said.

“We know that breath tests have a clear deterrent effect on people who risk drinking and then driving, and we are determined to see more breath tests undertaken so Kiwis are safer on our roads,” he said.

Brown also announced $20m to deliver a new roadside drug testing regime. The Government recently introducing legislation to allow police to more easily test drivers for drug use, building on legislation passed under the last Government, which technically allowed roadside drug testing but set such a high threshold for the tests that a regime was never rolled out. Brown said the funding would help police hit a target of 50,000 oral fluid tests per year once the roadside drug testing legislation is passed and a regime is rolled out.

The bill is at select committee with submissions due to close before the end of the month.

The legislation will allow oral fluid testing for roadside screening purposes, followed by a more sophisticated test for people whose screening returns a positive result.

The bill as it is currently written would mean that a driver who returns two positive results at the roadside will be immediately prohibited from driving for 12 hours.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown announces crackdown on drugged and drunk drivers at his electorate office in Pakuranga. Photo / Alex Burton

A driver who returns a positive screening result will have an oral fluid sample sent for evidential laboratory testing. If that test confirms the presence of a drug at a level that indicates it was used recently, the driver would be issued with an infringement free and demerit points.

Drivers who refuse to take a screening test would be issued with an infringement fee, demerit points, and be prohibited from driving for 12 hours.

“Alcohol and drugs are the number one contributing factor in fatal road crashes in New Zealand. Over 2019-2022, crashes involving drug drivers claimed the lives of an average of 105 people each year and represented around 30% of all road deaths,” Brown said.

Labour’s Transport Spokesman Tangi Utikere backed tackling impaired drivers but said the focus on road safety should extend to speed. The Government is currently unpicking changes made by the last Government to make it easier for councils to reduce speed limits around schools.

“Tackling impaired drivers on New Zealand roads is a good thing. It’s a shame the government aren’t taking road safety at a community level as seriously and listening to communities and councils who do not want speeds increased around their schools,” Utikere said.

Brown also announced $72m in funding, to be allocated over three years, to be used as an “incentive payment” to entice police to hit speed, alcohol, and drug enforcement targets. The funding would be released to police once they hit their enforcement targets.

The seven road policing operational priorities in the plan are:

• Impairment, including alcohol, drugs and fatigue.
• Exceeding the speed limit.
• Seatbelts and child restraints.
• Distraction, particularly mobile phone use.
• High-risk drivers
• Commercial vehicles
• Other prevention and enforcement activities

Thomas Coughlan is Deputy Political Editor and covers politics from Parliament. He has worked for the Herald since 2021 and has worked in the press gallery since 2018.