State officials are evaluating a roadside drug testing kit that could help police counter the growing number of drivers high behind the wheel.
The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety is providing grants to law enforcement agencies in Louisville, Paducah and Madison County to test portable drug testing kits that police officers could eventually carry into the field to test drivers for controlled substances.
PPD Sergeant Matt Smith says the oral swab kits will only be tested by the department’s three certified Drug Recognition Experts and all subjects will be volunteers. The data will not be used in any criminal investigation and will be sent off to the state lab for the OHS study.
If the tests prove reliable, lawmakers say they will consider legislation next year to expand their use.
According to Kentucky State Police, authorizes suspect that drugs factored into nearly 1,600 traffic collisions across the state last year, resulting in 939 injuries and 214 deaths.
