It’s one thing to have to count from 1 to 10 for a breathalyzer test, another thing for the inside of your mouth to make contact with a dubious item with unknown chemicals in it.
from Voices for Freedom
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Unfortunately, there is a reality check. If you’re hoping this guide contains a hidden loophole, you’re out of luck. The current legal position is fairly stark: You can comply with the roadside test, or refuse and accept the legal consequences.
But we’re not prepared to simply accept that and roll over. If New Zealanders are being compelled by law to place a device in their mouths, they should, at the very least, be entitled to know exactly what they’re being asked to accept. Commercial sensitivity should never trump the public’s right to transparency when it comes to mandated products.
Our work on this issue is far from over. Katie continues to pursue further information through OIA requests, and we’ll keep building the evidence base piece by piece. From there, we’ll be advocating for greater transparency and improvements to both the procedures and the testing regime itself. Real change rarely happens overnight, but it does happen when ordinary people are informed, engaged, and prepared to insist on better. That’s exactly what we intend to do.
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We’ve also created a Quick Guide designed to be printed and kept in your car glovebox, so if you are ever stopped, you have a simple reference to the process, your rights, and what to expect.
At VFF, we support safe roads. Nobody wants genuinely impaired drivers behind the wheel.
However, one of our concerns is that these roadside tests are not designed to determine whether someone is actually impaired. Instead, they detect the presence of certain drugs that may remain in a person’s system long after any impairment has passed. That has obvious implications for people lawfully taking prescribed medications or medicinal cannabis products, despite being perfectly capable of driving safely.This is why we believe the conversation needs to be broader than just road safety. It also needs to include transparency, proportionality, and informed consent.
Katie recently joined Paul Brennan on RCR to discuss what we’ve uncovered, the legal issues involved, and what every Kiwi should know before encountering roadside drug testing.
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Lounge Edition — Monday
We’ll also be taking a deeper look at this issue during our VFF Lounge Edition webinar on Monday, 27 July at 8.00pm, where Katie will discuss what we’ve learned so far, the Official Information Act requests that are still underway, and answer your questions.
Finally, work like this doesn’t happen by accident. Researching legislation, pursuing Official Information Act requests, preparing legal resources, producing educational material, and holding public institutions to account takes time, expertise and persistence. If you value this work, and would like to help us continue investigating issues like this on behalf of New Zealanders, we’d be incredibly grateful for your support. Thank you, as always, for standing with us.
| Sharing is caring !If you’d like to help spread the word, we’ve also produced short clips that are easy to share on Facebook or X here. |
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Alia Bland | Co-Founder VFF & RCR