Police ready to nab high drivers
Standard and specialized testing used to detect impaired motorists
REGINA You can’t drive high now, and you can’t drive high when cannabis is officially legal on Oct. 17.
That’s the warning from drug recognition experts from the Regina Police Service and RCMP, backed up by Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI).
On Tuesday, reporters were given a presentation and demonstration on how officers detect whether or not drivers are under the influence of cannabis or other drugs.
If you are pulled over and suspected of driving under the influence of drugs, it will look a lot like getting stopped for drinking and driving. An officer will put you through a standard roadside field test.
This is the test where you walk a straight line, follow a pen with your eyes and stand on one leg while counting.
If you perform poorly on that, the officer can demand you take another test from a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE). There is an oral test that can be administered as well, but it can only detect the presence of some drugs (including cannabis and cocaine), not prove you are impaired.
There are currently 74 DRES in Saskatchewan (15 in Saskatoon, 11 in Regina, four in Moose Jaw, three in Prince Albert, two in Weyburn and Estevan and one in Dalmeny).
Officers who become DRES do extensive training locally before going through a certification program in the United States. An additional 40 officers are expected to become DRES in 2019.
Once with a DRE — at this point you are under arrest for failing a field sobriety test — there is 12-step test to go through.
Your pulse will be taken several times throughout, and your pupil size will be evaluated. You will once again do the tests associated with the field sobriety test, have your blood taken, be interviewed by the DRE, and eventually it will be decided if you are impaired or not.
Cpl. Brian Ferguson, provincial DRE training co-ordinator for the RCMP, says a lot of people aren’t aware such testing has been taking place for a long time. With the impending legalization of cannabis, though, the testing will become more prominent.
“This isn’t new,” he said, noting DRE officers rely on senses to determine whether or not they should test someone for impairment. “It’s what you see, what you smell and what you hear.”
And while it should be fairly obvious by now that driving under the influence is a bad idea, he says there is still a need to educate the public.
“If you’re high, you can’t drive. If you’re drunk, you can’t drive. It’s
If you’re high, you can’t drive. If you’re drunk, you can’t drive ... People have to be able to gauge their own levels of impairment.
pretty straightforward. If you have to ask yourself that question… the answer is no,” he said. “People have to be able to gauge their own levels of impairment.”
People who are driving impaired in Saskatchewan face a range of penalties, including having their licence suspended and vehicle seized immediately. There are also jail fines and hefty fines for those convicted.