Road freight peak body Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is right behind the introduction of roadside drug testing legislation.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced The Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Bill will be sent to the Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee for consideration after its first reading this week.

Interim CEO Dom Kalasih says Minister Brown’s push to test drivers for drugs through saliva testing is good news.

"Anything that makes the roads safer is excellent for truckies, and all road users," Dom Kalasih says.

"It’s vital that police have a system to get drugged drivers off our roads."

"New Zealand’s truckies often see firsthand the horrific effects of drug and drunk drivers on our roads," he says.

"Such a system was almost introduced by the Labour government a couple of years ago but the technology for the testing just wasn’t ready."

Mr Kalasih says there are some important issues to watch out for with any new testing regime.

"We’ll be examining the proposed legislation as there are a few concerns that need to be looked at, such as legal and prescription drug use which may trigger positive results."

"We’ll want to make sure the system has plenty of checks and balances and doesn’t stop people from driving who aren’t impaired."

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