Michigan State Police will start a new roadside drug testing program this week as part of legislation signed by the Governor in 2016.
The one-year oral fluid testing program will take place in five Michigan counties, including Berrien, Delta, Kent, St. Clair and Washtenaw. Along with state police, county, township and municipal police agencies will also be involved.
If a driver is suspected of being on drugs, the officer will get a sample obtained by an oral mouth swab, along with a 12-step evaluation. Refusal to comply will be a civil infraction.
“Motorists under the influence of drugs pose a risk to themselves and others on the road,” said Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue, director of the MSP. “With drugged driving on the rise, law enforcement officers need an effective tool to assist in making these determinations during a traffic stop.”
Michigan has seen an increase in drugged driving accidents and fatal accidents over several years. In 2016, there were 236 drug-involved traffic fatalities, which is an increase of 32 percent from 179 drug-involved traffic fatalities in 2015.
The five counties were chosen based on criteria included the number of impaired driving crashes, impaired drivers arrested and the number of trained Drug Recognition Experts (DREs) in the county. Those experts are police officers that have been highly trained in spotting drivers under the influence of drugs.
