Wisconsin’s efforts to stop impaired driving received a boost in the form of a grant from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility. The $45,000 grant will fund law enforcement training to identify drug-impaired drivers through the state’s Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) program.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Secretary-designee Craig Thompson says, “This is a direct investment in the safety of Wisconsin highways, training law enforcement personnel is an important step in keeping our highways and communities safe.”

DREs are highly skilled, highly trained experts in detecting the influence of psychoactive drugs on individuals. They are also trained in documenting and testifying in court. The goal is to have at least one expert in every county. Currently 50 of the state’s 72 counties have at least one DRE.