Police will begin roadside drug screening in the Wellington District from Monday 15 December, the first time this kind of testing will be used on the roads here.

Superintendent Steve Greally, Director of Road Policing, said the new tool is aimed at detecting and deterring drug-impaired driving. Officers will use a roadside device to screen for four drugs — THC (cannabis), methamphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy) and cocaine.

Similar to alcohol testing, thresholds are set for each drug to indicate recent use rather than historical use, passive exposure or accidental ingestion. Alongside the new screening, Police will continue to use the Compulsory Impairment Test (CIT) where they have good cause to suspect a driver is impaired by drugs.

Drivers on prescription medication are advised to keep taking it as directed and to consider any impairing effects. A prescription or medical note cannot be used at the roadside to avoid a test or to dispute a positive saliva result. If an infringement is issued after laboratory testing, drivers can apply for a medical defence if the drug was prescribed to them, with information on how to apply available on Police’s website from Monday 15 December.

Refusing or failing to comply with a roadside drug screening test will result in an infringement notice carrying a $400 fine, 75 demerit points, and a 12-hour ban on driving.

Police did not release threshold figures or operational details such as checkpoint locations. Superintendent Greally’s message to drivers was direct: don’t take drugs and drive. “If you intend to get behind the wheel after consuming impairing drugs, you will be caught.”