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VERSION:2.0
PRODID:icalendar-ruby
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
X-WR-CALNAME:Police in Lake County equipped with new device to combat drugg
 ed driving
X-WR-TIMEZONE:Indiana (East)
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20261013T133858Z
UID:tag:localist.com\,2008:EventInstance_38208706774842
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211028
DESCRIPTION:LAKE COUNTY\, IN — More police across Lake County will soon h
 ave a new way to identify and keep drug-impaired drivers off the road. Ann
 ounced today\, the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute is distributing 97 S
 oToxa Mobile Test System units to 19 agencies in the region\, as part of t
 he state’s ongoing efforts to reduce drugged driving and traffic fatalit
 ies.\n\nSoToxa\, developed by Abbott\, is a handheld analyzer that tests o
 ral fluid for the presence of six types of drugs: cocaine\, methamphetamin
 e\, opiates\, cannabis (THC)\, amphetamine and benzodiazepines. The test i
 s conducted roadside by obtaining a mouth swab from suspected impaired dri
 vers.\n\nDriving under the influence of any substance\, whether legal or i
 llegal\, is against the law in all 50 states.\n\n“We’re concentrating 
 our efforts in Lake County as a thoroughfare between Illinois and Michigan
  where cannabis is legal\,” said Devon McDonald\, ICJI Executive Directo
 r. “This is about making sure officers in the region have the training a
 nd equipment they need to address drug-impaired driving swiftly and more e
 ffectively.”\n\nToday’s announcement is the latest development in the 
 state’s roadside oral fluid program\, launched by the criminal justice i
 nstitute last December. To date\, there are 87 SoToxa devices in use in In
 diana with 798 tests being administered by law enforcement. Of those\, 443
  or 55 percent have resulted in a positive test for one or more substance.
  Cannabis was the leading drug category with 260 positive tests – 43 per
 cent of those appearing with at least one other drug.\n\nThe program was c
 reated as part of the “Great Lakes\, High Stakes” campaign\, in partne
 rship with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Region 5
  Office\, to address the emergence of drugged driving taking place regiona
 lly and nationwide.\n\nAccording to NHTSA\, in the 10 years between 2009 a
 nd 2018\, the presence of marijuana had nearly doubled among drivers kille
 d in crashes who were tested for the substance. More recently\, data from 
 a 2021 NHTSA study shows that 56 percent of drivers involved in serious in
 jury and fatal crashes tested positive for at least one drug\, based on tr
 auma centers studied last year.\n\nIn response\, officers will begin using
  the devices in the field starting this month\, bringing the new statewide
  total to just under 200.\n\nHobart Police Department Lieutenant Ronald Ru
 sso is receiving eight of those units and said this technology creates a d
 eterrent and will ultimately lead to safer roads.\n\n“These devices are 
 redefining roadside investigations and will make us more efficient\,” Ru
 sso said. “The faster we’re able to identify and remove impaired drive
 rs and deter this behavior\, the more lives we can save. It’s a game-cha
 nger.”\n\nIn Indiana\, officers must have a reason to pull over the vehi
 cle first before administering the test\, whether it’s for driving errat
 ically\, speeding or another infraction. If the officer suspects impairmen
 t\, they will use standard detection techniques such as field sobriety tes
 ts and portable breathalyzers to evaluate the driver.\n\nIn situations whe
 re drugs may be suspected\, they can then ask the driver to take the SoTox
 a test. This is done by collecting an oral fluid sample\, which is then in
 serted into the handheld analyzer. Results are available roadside within f
 ive minutes and indicate positive or negative for each of the six drug cat
 egories.\n\n“Officers use a combination of training\, technology and exp
 erience to detect signs of impairment\,” said Robert Duckworth\, ICJI Tr
 affic Safety Division Director. “SoToxa would not replace those techniqu
 es. It’s just an additional tool they can use to keep dangerous drivers 
 off the road.”\n\nIn Indiana\, drivers can refuse the test\, and the res
 ults cannot be used as evidence in court to determine if the driver was im
 paired. The purpose of the device\, similar to portable breath tests\, is 
 to further establish probable cause\, which can then be used by the office
 r to make an arrest\, administer a certified breath test\, take the suspec
 t for medical treatment or apply for a warrant to administer a blood draw.
 \n\n“Most officers today are equipped with portable breathalyzers to scr
 een for alcohol\, but detecting the presence of drugs roadside poses more 
 of a challenge\,” Duckworth said. “As challenges evolve\, we have to a
 dapt. We’re proud to be one of the first states in the nation to adopt t
 his technology and provide a statewide program.”\n\nThe units cost rough
 ly $4\,500 each\, are reusable and were paid for with federal NHTSA funds.
 \n\n###
LOCATION:
SUMMARY:Police in Lake County equipped with new device to combat drugged dr
 iving
URL;VALUE=URI:https://events.in.gov/event/police_in_lake_county_equipped_wi
 th_new_device_to_combat_drugged_driving
CATEGORIES:Press Releases
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