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Drugged-driving could be illegal by the end of the year, with a Government bill making it an offence to drive while impaired by drugs due for introduction to Parliament over the next few weeks.
The intention to introduce drugged-driving as an offence akin to drink-driving was announced in December last year.
Transport Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven told the transport select committee of the pending Land Transport Amendment Bill yesterday during a briefing on driver behaviour.
He said the bill was with small parties for consultation, but should be introduced within a few weeks.
National road policing manager Superintendent Dave Cliff welcomed the proposed law, saying under the present law it was only illegal to drive while "incapable" because of drugs or alcohol.
The new, separate offence for drugs, as with alcohol, would have a lower threshold, requiring a driver to be "impaired". "It's another tool for us to get people who shouldn't be on the road off the road."
People suspected of being on drugs will be tested on the side of the road by an "impairment" test, in which people are asked to do co-ordination exercises such as walk in a straight line and undergo eye examinations.
If police believed they were on drugs, a blood test would be done to confirm it. Similar punishments would apply as for speeding drivers.
The Green Party has opposed the measure, saying requiring someone to do a blood test based on an officer's perception of whether they were "impaired" was effectively a search.
However, Mr Cliff said it was dangerous for someone to drive while impaired regardless of the cause of impairment. The offence would include party pills when new laws making them illegal came into force.
NZ First MP Peter Brown, who had asked for the briefing, said his party had sought harsher penalties on recidivist drink-drivers to be included in the upcoming bill.
"They are a menace and we can't stop them drinking, but we can stop them driving."
He said a first offence should get a warning letter; for a second offence, the driver's car should be put outside their house with a wheelclamp on it while they were disqualified from driving, "so he walks out and sees it every day".
He said the car should be confiscated for any subsequent offences.
Ministry of Transport officials said further measures could be considered for a second bill, due to be introduced late next year, for which policy and drafting were still being worked on, rather than delay the present bill.
Mr Duynhoven said changes to the graduated drivers' licensing system for young or novice drivers would also be taken to the Cabinet soon.
The Government's aim was to reduce the road toll to under 300 deaths a year by 2010. Last year's toll of 391 was the lowest in 50 years and Mr Duynhoven said on a per-10,000-vehicle-basis the road toll had halved since 1998.
Mr Duynhoven said that while it was not yet Government policy, he also supported compulsory third party insurance and was under growing pressure from the public to introduce it.
Ministry officials were looking at international examples of it.
He said insurance companies estimated about one-quarter of cars were uninsured, but had told him introducing compulsory insurance would raise insurance premiums.
Mr Duynhoven said one way to deal with the problem of irresponsible young drivers who broke the conditions of a restricted licence was to make them return to the very beginning of a learner's licence and resit the whole process again.
There would also be changes to the motor vehicle licensing register, to better protect personal information on it.
