It May Be Hard For Law Enforcement To Detect Drugged Driving

One thing that has worked for law enforcement over the years in detecting and prosecuting drunk driving is the advancement of technologies to help detect whether a person was drinking before or while she/he was driving.  Over the years law enforcement has been able to determine if a Connecticut auto accident was caused in part or in whole by someone who had been drinking and then got behind the wheel.

Despite the advancement of legalization of marijuana there are no similar technologies to aid law enforcement identifying those drivers that may be driving while impaired.  During National Drunk and Drugged Driving Month it is important for us all to consider the difficulty law enforcement may have when detecting whether someone is impaired behind the wheel and the importance of policing ourselves and avoiding these types of behaviors.

Why has it been so difficult for law enforcement agencies to detect drugged driving?  There are a number of reasons including;

1. A lack of a good roadside test to detect whether someone has been using a substance while behind the wheel.
2. With some substances staying in a user’s body for days if not weeks after use, it can be difficult for law enforcement to determine the impact that drug use had on an accident and whether or not the use happened on that same day.
3. Since there is a test to determine whether someone is driving under the influence of alcohol, police officers generally don’t worry about testing for drugged driving if a person has already been found to have been driving while under the influence of alcohol.
4. It can be challenging for law enforcement to determine which substance that is found in a person’s system actually led to an accident.

For these reasons it can be challenging for law enforcement agencies to detect and prosecute someone who has been using drugs and then got behind the wheel.  If a Connecticut auto accident does happen it is more likely that the officer who writes the report will test for a blood alcohol level than try to determine the impact that drugs played in the accident.

If you’ve been injured in an accident that involved drugs or alcohol you may need an attorney to review your case and work with you to protect your long-term interests.  Contact our office to speak with one of our experienced attorneys.