Drug-impaired driving is a serious and growing threat on Canterbury roads. National crash data shows that around 30% of all fatal crashes in New Zealand involve drugs or alcohol, with methamphetamine and cannabis being the most common culprits.


These substances dramatically affect driving ability, meth can cause aggression and overconfidence, and cannabis slows reaction times and clouds judgment.

In 2024, New Zealand recorded 243 road deaths, the lowest toll since 2014. However, impaired driving remains a major factor, contributing to nearly one-third of these fatalities. Alcohol related deaths dropped from 92 in 2023, to 57 in 2024, but drug use continues to be a significant risk on our roads. Canterbury reflects these national trends, with impaired driving consistently linked to serious crashes.

Police enforcement and crash investigations make one thing clear: driving with drugs in your system is never safe. Officers now have new powers under the Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Act 2025 to randomly drug test drivers at the roadside, with nationwide rollout, including Canterbury, by mid-2026. The goal is 50,000 tests per year.

How roadside drug testing works:

  • A quick tongue swab detects cannabis, meth, MDMA, and cocaine.
  • If positive, a second swab confirms the result, and a saliva sample goes to a lab for evidential testing.
  • Two positive roadside tests = 12-hour driving ban.
  • Mixing drugs and alcohol attracts harsher penalties.

Advertising Campaign:
The 2025-26 annual summer road safety campaign highlights the often-overlooked danger of drug driving and calls on individuals to make responsible choices that protect other people’s lives.

The message is simple; reality hits hard when you’re high behind the wheel. Get pulled over and it's your licence gone, a massive fine and, someone always ends up hurt.

Reality hits harder than the high. Selwyn District Council Road Safety Reality hits hard when you're stoned behind the wheel. Selwyn District Council Road Safety