In the 1970s, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began sponsoring research studies into the development of standardized tests for law enforcement officers to use to evaluate levels ofimpairment in drivers suspected of driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs or driving while intoxicated (DWI). Several tests were studied, and some of them were validated by the studies as being accurate indicators of impairment. 

The Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) course, also known as the DUI or DWI Detection course, is a comprehensive course designed to increase the student's ability to detect impairment in drivers.  The fundamental purpose of this training course is to foster DWI deterrence, i.e., to dissuade people from driving while impaired by increasing the odds that they will be arrested and convicted. SFST training focuses on the three-phases of the DUI/DWI detection investigation, and especially on the battery of three tests that were validated by NHTSA in their studies. Students in this class learn how to recognize and document the presence or lack of clues from each test that indicate impairment in suspected DUI subjects. Successful completion of this class has resulted in attendees' improved ability to remove impaired drivers from Michigan Roadways.

Course Description

This course is a 16-hour classroom course which includes instruction on:
• NHTSA Studies
• General Deterrence
• Physiology
• Vehicle Code Review
• Detection as a Three-Phase Process
• Processing the Arrested Subject
• Courtroom Testimony
• SFST Instruction & Proficiency Testing
• Report Writing

Pre-requisites

To be considered for training in the SFST program, a person must be employed under direct contact of a criminal justice agency or institution involved in providing training services to law enforcement agencies.

Registration

• Upcoming classes may be found in the Professional Development Learning Center under SFST. 
• There is no registration fee to attend this course.
• This course is funded through the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning DRE Grant. 
• Travel reimbursement is not available for this course. 
If your agency is interested in hosting this course at your training facility, please contact, Sgt. Kevin Lee, Cell: 269-308-0312, Email: LeeK7@michigan.gov

New SFST law

As of September 22, 2016, Public Act 242 requires "substantial compliance" in the administration of the SFSTs. The Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan have prepared a legal memorandum - Impact of the New Standardized Field Sobriety Test - that provides an overview of the new law, as well as instructions on how to properly perform the three SFSTs. The have also provided an SFST Scoring Sheet to help document clues observed during the tests. 

The Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) program was developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) with input from the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) and the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police.  ARIDE was created to address the gap in training between the Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) and the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program.

ARIDE is intended to bridge the gap between these two programs by providing officers with general knowledge related to drug impairment and by promoting the use of DREs in states that have the DEC Program.  One of the more significant aspects of ARIDE is its review and required student demonstration of the SFST proficiency requirements.

This course will train law enforcement officers to observe, identify, and articulate the signs of impairment related to drugs, alcohol or a combination of both, to reduce the number of impaired drivers and impaired driving related traffic collisions.  This course will train other criminal justice professionals (prosecutors, toxicologists, etc.) to understand the signs of impairment related to drugs, alcohol, or a combination of both and enable them to effectively work with law enforcement to reduce the number of impaired drivers and impaired driving related traffic collisions. 

Course Description:

This course is a 16-hour classroom course which includes instruction on:
• SFST Review
• The Seven Major Drug Categories
• Signs and Symptomology
• Physiology of Drugs
• Drug Combinations
• Courtroom Testimony
• Report Writing

Pre-requisites

To qualify for this course, prospective students must have successfully completed a minimum of 16 hours of SFST consisting of IACP/NHTSA approved SFST instruction.  Personnel should have experience using SFSTs to understand and complete the course. Additionally, to be considered for training in the ARIDE program, a person must be employed under direct contact of a criminal justice agency or institution involved in providing training services to law enforcement agencies.

Registration

• Upcoming classes may be found in the Professional Development Learning Center under SFST. 
• There is no registration fee to attend this course.
• This course is funded through the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning DRE Grant. 
• Travel reimbursement is not available for this course. 

If your agency is interested in hosting this course at your training facility, please contact, Sgt. Kevin Lee, Cell: 269-308-0312, Email: LeeK7@michigan.gov

All applicants and participating agencies shall provide a letter of endorsement prior to enrollment in a DRE school. The letter of endorsement provided by the participating agency acknowledges and agrees to the requirements of this program set forth in the National Standards. 
The standards include:
- Completion of the DRE classroom training (72 hours)
- DRE Field Certification Training (approximately 32 hours) 
- Biannual recertification

All applicants shall attend and complete all phases of the DRE Training.
Students wishing to enroll in DRE classes must show proof of completion of Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) Course and ARIDE Course.

A drug recognition expert or drug recognition evaluator (DRE) is a police officer trained to recognize impairment in drivers under the influence of drugs other than, or in addition to, alcohol. The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) coordinates the International Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program with support from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation. In addition to officers, who are certified as DREs, the DEC Program educates prosecutors and toxicologists on the DRE process and the drug categories.

What They Do | International Association of Chiefs of Police
12-Step-DRE-Process.pdf
7-Drug-Categories.pdf

Three determinations of a DRE

A DRE conducts a detailed, diagnostic examination of persons arrested or suspected of drug-impaired driving or similar offenses. Based on the results of the drug evaluation, the DRE forms an expert opinion on the following:

1. Is the person impaired? If so, is the person able to operate a vehicle safely? If the DRE concludes that the person is impaired…
2. Is the impairment due to an injury, illness or other medical complication, or is it drug-related? If the impairment is due to drugs…
3. Which category or combination of categories of drugs is the most likely source of the impairment?

DREs conduct their evaluations in a controlled environment, typically at police precincts, intake centers, troop headquarters or other locations where impaired drivers are transported after arrest. The drug evaluation is not normally done at roadside and is typically a post-arrest procedure.

In some cases, the person evaluated will be a driver of the DRE personally arrested. In many cases, however, the DRE will be called upon to conduct the evaluation after the driver is arrested by another officer.

The DRE is requested to assist in the investigation because of his or her special expertise and skills in identifying drug impairment.

The DRE drug evaluation takes approximately one hour to complete. The DRE evaluates and assesses the person’s appearance and behavior. The DRE also carefully measures and records vital signs and makes precise observations of the person’s automatic responses and reactions. The DRE also administers carefully designed psychophysical tests to evaluate the person’s judgment, information processing ability, coordination and various other characteristics. The DRE will systematically consider everything about the person that could indicate the influence of drugs.

DITEP | International Association of Chiefs of Police

DITEP training enables schools to employ an aggressive evaluation and detection program that will reduce drug usage, disruptions by drug-impaired individuals, and impaired driving in and around schools. This will make our communities and schools safer places for all.

DITEP training does not qualify participants as drug recognition experts (DREs). It is intended to make high school nurses, principals and school resource officers competent and confident in evaluating and documenting students suspected of abusing and being impaired by drugs.

There are two options for DITEP training, either an 8 or a 16-hour course.

Registration

Upcoming classes may be found in the Professional Development Learning Center under DITEP

There is no registration fee to attend this course.

This course is funded through the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning DRE Grant.

Travel reimbursement is not available for this course.

The IACP EDIT program is designed to help workplace employers and supervisors recognize and evaluate individuals who may be impaired by drugs. The training focuses on a systematic approach to identifying drug-impaired individuals and ensuring a safe work environment. It aims to improve workplace safety by providing early intervention and diversion strategies. 

The training is not intended to qualify participants as drug recognition experts but rather to aid in the evaluation and documentation of those suspected of using drugs.

This is an 8-hour course.

Registration

Upcoming classes may be found in the Professional Development Learning Center under EDIT

There is no registration fee to attend this course.

This course is funded through the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning DRE Grant.

Travel reimbursement is not available for this course.

Professional Development Learning Center

Welcome - Realize Your Potential: msp

To assist with sharing MiLogin and PDLC instructions with external users, the Communications and Outreach Division created a webpage that outlines the instructions in an easy-to-follow format.

https://www.michigan.gov/msp/le/education-training/milogin-and-pdlc-instructions

Awareness

•          Crash-data storytelling: Sharing Mitchel Kiefer’s story via high school presentations, highway marker signage, and event displays to personalize crash statistics.
•          Current in-school and community education/engagement efforts include:
• Just Drive Simulator pilot programs in schools. Simulators are in four pilot high schools in Michigan, with the addition of at least two currently in process.

•          “Smart Sign” speed/distraction/seat belt detection and educational tool has been deployed at Detroit Catholic Central High School to sense driving behavior and provide real-time safety directives to drivers. Preliminary results suggest a 20 percent reduction in unsafe driving behaviors under the three factored conditions.
•          Safe-driving tech promotion: Advocating for Do Not Disturb modes and safe-driving telematics applications, as well as the use of hands-free phone holders or in-car technology to ensure compliance with Michigan’s Hands-Free Law.

Enforcement

•          Leveraging Cambridge Mobile Telematics dashboards and Advisory Board and Street Vision data insights to help guide law enforcement priorities.
•          Hands-Free law education: Working to develop supportive materials for law enforcement agencies to highlight best practice enforcement methods. Also working to create driver-centric educational materials for law enforcement’s roadside education.
•          Hands-Free legislation advocacy: Supported the passage of Michigan’s Hands-Free Law in 2023, with a current and continued focus to do press and media events in Michigan to help bring attention toward focused and distraction-free driving.

Engagement

•          School and youth outreach:
  •    Virtual reality simulator in four pilot schools.
  •    Messaging at USA Hockey Memorial ice rink events.
  •    Working to develop a parent-focused campaign to raise awareness about parental responsibilities and youth prevalence rates of dangerous driving. Special emphasis is currently being focused on passenger roles and responsibilities to speak up if their driver is unsafe.
•          Active promotion of Cambridge Mobile Telematics’ and safe-driving incentive systems.
•          Working to expand Safer by 2030 coalition strategy:
  •    Introduce Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (DMAIC) mechanisms into our diagnosis of crash measurement and future interventions. Encourage the review of all crash causes and suggest specific interventions to address each root cause. Focus initiatives on infrastructure improvements, driver education, technology integration, and enacting policy changes. Consideration in all aspects toward the 4 E’s of traffic safety – Engineering, Education, Enforcement, and Emergency Services.

•    Community-based peer programs: Harness youth ambassadors in high schools to normalize speaking up to distracted peers.
•    Develop and expand communication with tax collection and Secretary of State offices to educate on Michigan’s Hands-Free Law and Graduated Driver Licensing requirements.
•    Review Michigan’s current driver education curriculum and ensure alignment with the national models. Engage partners at the Michigan Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association.