Recently we have seen troubling trends in both highway safety, and impaired driving. 25% of fatal crash-involved drivers tested positive for multiple impairing substances, compared with 18% prior to the pandemic. The number of DWI arrests has plummeted while impaired driving fatalities increased by 14% in 2020, an additional 14% in 2021, and continue to trend in the wrong direction. The impact of the COVID pandemic, the increase in states legalizing recreational marijuana and the prevalence of polysubstance use have forced practitioners to reevaluate our current approaches in addressing this serious issue. This interactive presentation will provide research that explains the changes we are seeing with the DWI population as well as approaches to address this growing crisis. Participants will learn best practices in supervision strategies, available countermeasures, issues surrounding polysubstance use and testing to help criminal justice and treatment professionals maximize their effectiveness in reducing risk to the community.
Objectives
- Participants will identify 3 factors that have influenced the increase in impaired driving fatalities
- Participants will identify two research-based strategies that are effective in the supervision of impaired drivers
- Participants will identify drug/alcohol testing strategies to maximize client accountability
- Participants will identify the characteristics and profiles of impaired drivers and the criminogenic risk factors that increase their likelihood of recidivating
