Department of Motor Vehicles

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  
Friday, January 21, 2022

GOVERNOR’S TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES LATEST CLASS OF NEW YORK’S DRUG RECOGNITION EXPERTS

Program Strengthens State’s Efforts to Prevent Drugged Driving on New York Roadways

354 Drug Recognition Experts Now Certified Statewide

B-roll and Soundbites of New York’s Drug Recognition Experts Training Can Be Found Here

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) today recognized 21 law enforcement officers from across New York State who last week completed extensive training and are now nationally certified Drug Recognition Experts (DREs). With this graduating class, New York now has 354 certified DREs across the state.    

“GTSC proudly supports this crucial training and I applaud all of the officers for their hard work in completing this program,” said GTSC Chair and DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder. “New York’s Drug Recognition Experts work tirelessly throughout the state in helping to get impaired drivers off our roads.”    

Below is a list of graduates and their affiliation:

DREs are utilized by law enforcement when a driver appears to be impaired, and police have ruled out alcohol as the cause or sole cause of impairment. A DRE receives extensive training that has been approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the IACP. The training allows officers to observe and document signs and indicators of impairment within each of seven drug categories including illicit and prescription drugs. DREs can make arrests and remove impaired drivers from New York State roadways regardless of the drug or drug combinations that are causing impairment.    

As part of their training, DRE graduates must successfully complete a three-part program prior to being certified.  The first two phases include a two-day introductory course, followed by 56 hours of instruction and a final exam. In the third phase, participants are required to observe and identify drug categories and complete an additional final knowledge exam to successfully comply with national DRE regulations. After successfully completing the training, all DRE officers are certified for two years and are expected to meet certain requirements to be considered for re-certification at the end of this period.    

Officers selected to participate in the DRE program must have a history of being proactive within their community and be well-trained in DWI detection. Only a handful of the large number of DRE applicants are selected to attend the training, which is sponsored by the GTSC and New York State STOP-DWI Foundation.    

Learn more about the DRE program on the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee website.    

About GTSC

Combined with education and enforcement campaigns, GTSC coordinates various traffic safety activities throughout the year and supports ongoing initiatives to improve pedestrian, motorcycle, and bicycle safety. The GTSC also sponsors critical training for law enforcement, provides resources for teen drivers and their parents, and promotes seatbelt use statewide.    

For more information about GTSC, visit https://trafficsafety.ny.gov/, or follow the GTSC conversation at Facebook and Twitter.

For more information about DMV, visit dmv.ny.gov, or follow the DMV conversation online at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

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