State efforts to tackle alcohol, cannabis and poly-substance impaired driving in the US are being supported with a funding boost.
The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), Responsibility.org and the National Alliance to Stop Impaired Driving (NASID), a coalition established and led by Responsibility.org, are once again partnering to support the initiative which is now in its twelfth year and has awarded approximately $1.35 million to State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) nationwide.
The grants, awarded in $40,000 increments, will help SHSOs and criminal justice professionals in Kansas, Oregon and Pennsylvania improve their ability to identify impaired drivers and remove them from the road through enhanced toxicology testing, mobile breath-testing tools and specialized training.
“Impaired driving remains one of the most persistent and complex threats to roadway safety, and states need strong tools, training and partnerships to respond effectively,” said Jonathan Adkins, Chief Executive Officer of GHSA. “By investing in practical, evidence-informed strategies, we can help SHSOs and local communities strengthen their response and save lives.”
In Kansas, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is partnering with the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center (RFSC) to expand the laboratory’s ability to detect the full range of drugs appearing in impaired driving cases.
In Oregon, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), in partnership with the Oregon State Police (OSP), will enhance the scope of OSP’s High Visibility Enforcement Unit (HVEU) by equipping members of the team in each of the agency’s four regions with dedicated mobile evidentiary breath-testing instruments. Currently, troopers often must transport suspects to fixed testing locations, which can cost valuable time and affect evidence quality.
Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Highway Safety Office will partner with the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education (CFSRE) to expand its findings on emerging drug trends, toxicology data, and patterns of polysubstance use.
