‘Wet Lab’ in Medford Helps Oregon Officers Improve Impaired Driving Enforcement

Medford, Oregon- Law enforcement officers from across Oregon gathered in Medford on Monday for a hands-on “DUII Wet Lab” training designed to sharpen their ability to detect and process impaired drivers.

Hosted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) and Medford Police Department (MPD), the training paired classroom instruction with Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs) conducted on volunteers who consumed alcohol in a safe, controlled setting. Officers practiced tests such as the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, Walk-and-Turn, and One-Leg Stand, then compared their observations with breath test results to evaluate accuracy in assessing blood alcohol concentration.

The session was part of a 16-hour Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) course, which emphasizes detecting drivers impaired by drugs as well as alcohol. Officials noted the training’s importance as drug-impaired driving fatalities have now surpassed alcohol-related fatalities locally.

JCSO’s DUII Enforcement Deputy, funded by an Oregon Department of Transportation grant, helped facilitate the training. Participants included officers from the Oregon State Police, Albany, Ashland, Central Point, The Dalles, Grants Pass, Jacksonville, and Winston police departments, as well as deputies from Deschutes and Linn counties. MPD provided the training site.

More information about DUII enforcement and traffic safety initiatives is available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at http://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/drive-sober-or-get-pulled-over.