KEY POINTS:
Tougher laws for people who drive under the influence of drugs have been introduced into Parliament.
Transport Minister Annette King said once the Land Transport Amendment Act was passed it would allow police to conduct road side tests on suspected drugged drivers.
These would include touching your nose and balancing on one leg.
If the driver failed this they would face a blood test which would pick up a range of drugs including cannabis.
A positive blood test would result in the person being charged with a new offence of driving while impaired by drugs with punishments similar to those faced by drunk drivers.
People who abused or misused prescription drugs would also face prosecution, though it would be an allowable defence if the drugs were being used as directed by a doctor.
Ms King said the results of the test would not be used to make a prosecution of being under the influence of drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
A police spokesman said drivers suspected of using drugs could be searched and prosecuted for possession under drugs laws.
Ms King said it was currently illegal to drive if "incapable" due to drugs use, but this had proved too high a bar for prosecution.
Police expected the new law there would be around 400 prosecutions a year at an estimated total cost of $640,000.
There are about 29,000 prosecutions a year for drunk driving.
Police believed that most drugged drivers would be picked up when stopped at "booze bus" roadside checks or when spotted driving erratically.
They would not be conducting campaigns to randomly stop people who were driving normally to see if they were using drugs.
Police believed that many drunk drivers who had fatal accidents were also under the influence of drugs.
It was estimated that in 2006 there were 12 road deaths attributable to drugs.
Ms King said the bill would make it to select committee with the support of New Zealand First, United Future and possibly the National party.
The Greens opposed the bill because it did not agree with an allowable defence for prescribed drugs, she said.
NZ First support was at this stage limited to allowing the bill to make progress and not its final passage into law.
Ms King faced a balancing act getting the bill through the House, because NZ First had wanted evidence of the use of drugs gathered from the road testing to be able to be used for prosecutions under drugs laws.
The Greens had opposed this.
Cannabis law reform group NORML said the bill would result in people who were no danger on the road being prosecuted because the tests would pick up the use of cannabis for up to three months after it was inhaled.
A police spokesman said the test would only pick up the psycho-active component of cannabis which lingered in the body for a shorter time.
- NZPA
