It is apparent from the large number of negative breath tests and the small number of drug driving submissions, that in the case of a negative result from a breath test for alcohol police officers are not considering whether that person may be impaired through drugs. This may be in part due to a lack of skills in identifying the signs of drug use in a driver. Drug Influence Recognition Training (DIRT) for police officers has recently been initiated. Police officers from six forces received training in drug influence recognition and also in the administration of a standardised Field Impairment Test (FIT). These officers then applied their training in a real world setting for a period of two months. As a comparison, specially trained TRL interviewers have also used these techniques at two city locations. People exiting clubs and public houses were invited to provide a saliva sample and perform the tests involved in DIRT/FIT. All samples (from both the police and TRL trials) have been analysed by independent forensic laboratories. Results show that the DIRT/FIT techniques are very useful in identifying impairment and the likely drug group responsible. This paper reports the results of both sets of trials and provides a list of recommendations based on experiences of the police and the TRL team. (A)
Abstract