Develop and Test Drug Positive Driver Detection Cues

For decades, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has worked with law enforcement to develop strategies to detect impaired drivers on the road. Much of this work has focused on drivers who are impaired by alcohol, but NHTSA is also conducting extensive research on drivers impaired by drugs other than alcohol. This study focuses on examining the feasibility of providing law enforcement officers with specific cues for detecting drivers positive for a potentially-impairing drug, other than alcohol, with a focus on driving under the influence of marijuana. To develop and test a set of cues to detect individuals driving under the influence of marijuana, this project will review previous drugs and driving performance research, the NHTSA Drug Recognition Expert database, and conduct ride-along with law enforcement officers to develop potential cues. The cues will be driving behavior-based but may also include cues related to after an officer has stopped a driver. The cues will be based on decision theory and the probability of cues being related to driving and behavior of marijuana-positive drivers. Once NHTSA approves a set of cues for field testing, the project will work with law enforcement agencies to use these cues while they are on patrol. Researchers, who are riding along with officers, will approach drivers after an enforcement stop and invite them to participate in the study, and to provide a biological sample via an on-site oral fluid test device to determine present use of marijuana. The study determine the probability of separate cues and sets of cues to accurately predict marijuana use of drivers. The project will document the study in a final report and develop basic training materials for use by law enforcement.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $900853
• Contract Numbers:

  693JJ921D000032

  693JJ921F000132

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, D.C.  United States  20590

  Office of Behavioral Safety Research

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, District of Columbia  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, D.C.  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Berning, Amy

• Performing Organizations:

  Dunlap and Associates, Incorporated

  110 Lenox Avenue
  Stamford, CT  United States  06906
• Principal Investigators:

  Berning, Amy

• Start Date: 20210930
• Expected Completion Date: 20241231
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: Behavioral Safety Research
• Subprogram: Drug Impaired Driving

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Decision theory; Drugged drivers; Field tests; Impaired drivers; Law enforcement; Marijuana; Training programs
• Identifier Terms: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Subject Areas: Education and Training; Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01787257
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Contract Numbers: 693JJ921D000032, 693JJ921F000132
• Files: RIP, USDOT
• Created Date: Nov 3 2021 2:31PM