In the month of December, the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute provided 52 Indiana law enforcement agencies with a new roadside tool to identify drug-impaired drivers off the road. The SoToxa Mobile Testing System detects the presence of six kinds of drugs: cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates, cannabis (THC), amphetamine and benzodiazepines., The Avon Police Department will begin using this new device at the start of 2021. The nation as a whole is facing an upward trend nationwide, and according to a 2018 Governor’s Highway Safety Association report, 44% of fatally injured drivers with known results tested positive for drugs in 2016, which is up 28% from 10 years early. In the report produced by GHSA, 38% of drivers had tested positive for some form of marijuana, 16% tested positive for opioids, and 4% tested positive for both. The Sotoxa test, like a portable breathalyzer, can be refused by a suspect driver, and the results cannot be used as evidence in the court to determine if the driver was impaired at the time of a collision. The purpose of this test is to help establish probable cause for police officers and can be used to make an arrest, administer a certified breath test, take the suspect for medical treatment or apply for a warrant to administer a blood draw. Each unit is reusable and was paid for by funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Driving under the influence does not necessarily mean that alcohol is involved as some collisions are caused by the use of opioids and other drugs. Even if police are able to stop people from driving while under these conditions, some will still be on the road and be a danger to others if you or someone you know has been injured or killed in a car accident by someone driving in a negligent manner, please contact the experienced legal team at Schiller Law Offices at 888-578-3100 or at IndyInjured.com to learn more about your potential right to compensation.