December is National Drunk and Driving Prevention Month. With more people on the roads traveling to holiday festivities and vacations, there is a higher risk for impaired driving crashes.
Driving while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol is a crime, yet one person is killed in a DUI crash every hour in the United States.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department Regional Crime Laboratory is committed to keeping roadways safe through a $505,723 grant provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). Funding comes from the OTS Improved Testing for Drug Impaired Grant.
"Our mission is to save lives, prevent injuries and reduce impaired driving crashes through education, research, safety standards and enforcement to keep you safe on the road," said the office in a statement.
Here's a look at how the crime lab will use the money:
- Expand the Crime Lab's blood alcohol testing capabilities to include other drugs. The goal is to meet or exceed the toxicology screening standards of the National Safety Council's Alcohol, Drugs and Impairment Division (NCS-ADID). Thorough testing provides stronger evidence for prosecution of DUI cases in court to hold impaired drivers accountable for their actions.
- Train Crime Lab staff on new instrumentation and equipment that will identify and determine the concentration of drugs and other chemicals in DUI samples.
- Provide quarterly data to stakeholders such as the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), California Highway Patrol (CHP) and partner agencies in the San Diego region. This information will help shape and allocate resources for education, intervention and prevention campaigns to improve roadway safety.
The crime lab provides forensic science services to more than 30 law enforcement agencies in the county. It processes more than 6,000 samples in traffic safety cases per year. So far this year, 5,940 people have been booked into jail for impaired driving in San Diego County.
A DUI doesn't just mean alcohol. It can be medication, marijuana and other illegal drugs. Ultimately, the crime lab's research will provide rich insight on emerging trends and other factors that could affect impactful campaigns in reducing impaired driving countywide.
Republished courtesy of SDSO.