Nearly all police officers who conduct road patrols have received training on recognizing signs that might point to impairment by alcohol and lead to an arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI). Fewer officers, however, are trained to recognize the signs that a driver might be impaired by a substance other than alcohol. Those officers who have such training may be known as drug recognition experts (DREs).
DRE training is provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as well as by state or local agencies. NHTSA DRE training is a three-step process. The first step involves at least two days of training on how to determine if a person might be impaired by a drug and making a guess as to what type of drug may be involved. The second step is seven days of training on how various drugs work on human bodies and the legal considerations involved in stopping someone on suspicion of drugged driving in New Hampshire. Students must then take a written test to advance to step three. The final phase of DRE training involves working with actual people suspected of drugged driving under the supervision of someone who has already passed DRE training.
Once training is complete, a second written exam is required to be certified as a DRE. This certification must be renewed every two years and requires several hours of additional training. A DRE who does not keep his education up to date or who “demonstrates substantial unprofessional or unethical behavior” may be decertified by the NHTSA.
Drugged driving is a different charge than drunk driving, but the consequences of a conviction are still strict. If you’re facing a drugged driving charge in New Hampshire, the experienced New Hampshire DUI defense attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. can help. For a free and confidential telephone consultation, call us today at (603) 624-3700.
