New legislation enabling random roadside drug testing has been welcomed by Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand, the peak body representing the country’s road freight industry.

The law, which passed its third reading in Parliament today, will empower Police to carry out 50,000 random roadside drug tests per year — a move seen as critical to improving road safety.

Transporting New Zealand’s Policy and Advocacy Lead, Billy Clemens, says the legislation has been a long time coming after earlier attempts stalled due to the lack of suitable testing devices.

“Forty-eight percent of fatal crashes between 2021 and 2023 involved driver alcohol and/or drugs as a contributing factor,” Clemens says. “A lot of New Zealanders need to adjust their thinking about driving while impaired. The threat of random roadside drug tests, which could result in an immediate 12-hour stand-down and a fine, is a step in the right direction.”

Clemens says the move will complement the random drug testing already commonplace in the road freight sector, where driver health and safety is a top priority.

“Our members take road safety seriously — the health, safety, and wellbeing of drivers is currently one of the top three issues flagged in our 2025 Road Freight Industry Survey,” he says. “This legislation is a practical step towards improving road safety outcomes for all road users.”

Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the national membership association for the road freight transport industry. Members operate urban, rural, and inter-regional freight services throughout the country.

Road remains the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, handling 92.8 percent of the freight task by tonnage and 75.1 percent by tonne-kilometres.