Road freight association Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is welcoming the announcement from the government confirming which drugs will be tested under the new roadside drug testing regime, which is to be gradually rolled out across New Zealand from this December.

The four drugs being screened are THC (cannabis), methamphetamine (meth), MDMA (ecstasy) and cocaine.

“The introduction of robust roadside drug testing is long overdue, with several other countries having already introduced this,” says Transporting New Zealand Policy &

Advocacy Advisor Mark Stockdale. 

“The Minister of Transport Chris Bishop says around 30 per cent of all road deaths now involve an impairing drug, and yet to date the only impairment being effectively enforced has been alcohol,” Stockdale says. 

“Our members take road safety seriously – in fact the health, safety and wellbeing of drivers is currently one of the top three issues flagged in our 2025 Road Freight Industry Survey. Many road freight operators already undertake random drug testing in the workplace, and the plan by Police to perform 50,000 random roadside drug tests per year will help improve road safety for all road users,” Stockdale added.

To prepare for the introduction of the new random roadside drug test, Transporting New Zealand is running a webinar for truck and bus operators on Friday 28 November. The webinar will feature the NZ Police Commercial Vehicle Safety Team explaining how the new test will work, the drugs being tested, and what the penalties are. 

Other speakers include The Drug Detection Agency discussing what their workplace testing shows and how to implement drug and alcohol policies in the workplace, and Gibson Sheat Lawyers explaining employers’ obligations and rights to undertake testing in the workplac