By Rachel Tiffen
An Auckland mother is due in court this week over the death of her daughter, accused of being drugged behind the wheel.
Two years ago, a law change was made to allow police to do more roadside drug impairment tests, to clamp down on the problem. But figures obtained by 3 News suggest police could be doing more.
Twelve-year-old Bryer Greenwood’s young life was cut short in a crash north of Auckland last July, allegedly because her mother was driving drugged.
While roadside impairment tests have been happening for almost two years, some experts say not enough – because the focus is on alcohol.
“It is an easy way out, prosecution-wise, just to accept that there is alcohol on board and then forget about the drugs because there is a costly process involved,” says former road policing Sergeant Stu Kearns.
Police says it’s not forgotten – just more difficult.
“The offence is drink or drug and drink is a lot easier to test for,” says acting Road Policing Manager Superintendent Rob Morgan.
Figures obtained by 3 News show that, at 75, the Bay of Plenty had twice as many prosecutions from roadside drug tests than any other region. But tests and prosecutions across the country have been minimal.
Between November 2009 and the end of September this year 514 drug impairment tests have been done, compared with more than 6 million breath alcohol tests.
Of the drug tests, 313 led to prosecutions – 75 in the Bay of Plenty, with Waitemata, the Southern and Central Districts and Waikato next, all hovering around 30.
Countries like Australia and Canada are already doing roadside saliva testing and new finger-printing technology has been developed in the UK that picks up illicit substances in sweat.
But Prime Minister John Key isn’t sweating about pushing changes through in New Zealand any time soon.
“Over time it’s certainly an area we need to continue to clamp down on,” he said.
Police say the problem is finding the most effective and cost-effective way to do that.
3 News