driver taking medicines or drugs while driving - drug recognition expert (DRE)

Drug Recognition Experts (DREs)

One of the biggest threats to roadway safety is impaired driving – drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs (including legal medications). To help combat this, Connecticut works to train and certify law enforcement officers in drug recognition techniques and provides foundational training for officers to become Drug Recognition Experts (DREs).

DRE certification allows the qualified officer to effectively evaluate someone suspected of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Without the existence of DREs, it would be more difficult to make this determination and take punitive actions against the driver. 

With the legalization of cannabis in Connecticut, the need for DREs is even greater. While determining alcohol use has been a practice for many years, law enforcement is just beginning to create and train officers in effective and fair practices for detecting cannabis use in drivers.

Connecticut’s DRE program has received national attention for its success in enforcement evaluations and in identifying and prosecuting drug impaired drivers.

 

How it Works

DRE certification school is extremely demanding. To receive certification as a DRE, all phases of training must be successfully completed:


Academic Training
 Over a two-week period, officers take courses in physiology, vital signs, standardized field sobriety testing (SFST) and common categories of drugs. The training includes proficiency examinations and officers must achieve a minimum score to advance.

Certification Phase
Next, officers conduct a minimum of twelve drug influence evaluations while under the supervision of a DRE instructor, identifying subjects under the influence of at least three of the seven drug categories, and attaining a 75% toxicological confirmation rate. In addition, they must pass a comprehensive final knowledge examination.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) are the regulating and certifying organizations for the CT DRE Program. DRE certification is valid for two years and DREs are continually evaluated in the skillset.