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Michigan State Police To Conduct Roadside Drug Tests In Pilot Program

Renae

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Michigan State Police To Conduct Roadside Drug Tests In Pilot Program « CBS Detroit

LANSING (WWJ) – A one-year pilot program set up in five counties will allow Michigan State Police to conduct roadside drug tests.First Lt. Michael Shaw says if a driver is pulled over for a traffic offense and shows signs of being under the influence of drugs –specially trained “drug recognition experts” will conduct traditional field sobriety tests.
Next, the officers will use a saliva-based testing to check drivers to see if they’ve smoked marijuana or used heroin or cocaine.
“Were seeing throughout the state of Michigan there’s an increase in both drugged driving and drugged driving fatalities,” Shaw told WWJ Newsradio 950’s Zahra Huber.
The program was approved in legislation passed in Lansing as statistics show the total number of traffic crashes involving drugs has reached a decade-high in Michigan.

Remember kids, Drugs aren't a problem, ignore these silly government control freaks trying to keep you from getting HIGH!!!
 
Hi nanny state, glad to see Big Brother is here to protect me.

Who are these "drug recognition experts", lol?

Nobody. You're right, this whole keep the roads safe thing is really big government intrusion into your life.
uh huh.
 
if you dont think drugs are a problem for drivers, you need to rethink your position

yes...just the same as alcohol

and we have laws against driving under the influence of alcohol

but as more and more states pass legal marijuana laws, this is becoming an issue

driving while high may become as big of a problem as drunk driving once was
 
Nobody. You're right, this whole keep the roads safe thing is really big government intrusion into your life.
uh huh.

It's just another means of government search. Who are these "experts"?

Essentially they are fundraising. Find ways to differentiate the same crime to extract higher penalties.
 
It's just another means of government search. Who are these "experts"?

Essentially they are fundraising. Find ways to differentiate the same crime to extract higher penalties.

YOU ARE SO RIGHT! They faked all those extra deaths and maimings, fudged the numbers to they could SNOOP on you!!

See kids, Drugs ARE good for you! :rolleyes:
 
YOU ARE SO RIGHT! They faked all those extra deaths and maimings, fudged the numbers to they could SNOOP on you!!

See kids, Drugs ARE good for you! :rolleyes:

Who knows how they aggregated the data. That's part of the point. Try to claim something is a larger problem to excuse higher levels of fines. Even in states where marijuana is legal, the data claiming a large uptick in pot related accident is suspect because of how long it stays in the system.

Government always wants more power and more money, they'll say anything to get it.

I'm not saying drugs are good. That's just a stupid statement that has nothing to do with anything. My contention is with what government claims in order to expand its powers. That's always suspect.
 
I'm completely opposed to this. It's not even based on rational science or safety reasoning -- it's just a back-door effort to continue our BS war on drugs. We need to peacefully oppose this police-state crap at every turn.
 
Who knows how they aggregated the data. That's part of the point. Try to claim something is a larger problem to excuse higher levels of fines. Even in states where marijuana is legal, the data claiming a large uptick in pot related accident is suspect because of how long it stays in the system.

Government always wants more power and more money, they'll say anything to get it.

You are sooo right maaan. The government's faking all this anti drug stuff, cuae they wanna see what's in your glove box man. Duude it's totally like clear to me now. How was I so blind to the truth dude? Wicked man, I I feel like I've got my like Eyes open now man or something. You got any doritos man? I got the munchies all the sudden...
 
You are sooo right maaan. The government's faking all this anti drug stuff, cuae they wanna see what's in your glove box man. Duude it's totally like clear to me now. How was I so blind to the truth dude? Wicked man, I I feel like I've got my like Eyes open now man or something. You got any doritos man? I got the munchies all the sudden...

Good to see you have no actual argument.

You Big Government folk are all the same.
 
You are sooo right maaan. The government's faking all this anti drug stuff, cuae they wanna see what's in your glove box man. Duude it's totally like clear to me now. How was I so blind to the truth dude? Wicked man, I I feel like I've got my like Eyes open now man or something. You got any doritos man? I got the munchies all the sudden...

You just owned yourself in your own thread.
 
I'm completely opposed to this. It's not even based on rational science or safety reasoning -- it's just a back-door effort to continue our BS war on drugs. We need to peacefully oppose this police-state crap at every turn.

You are SO right, keeping roads safe is really just a bad, a bad thing Government has no right doing.
 
Good to see you have no actual argument.

You Big Government folk are all the same.

I hate big government, I hate driving on roads with people under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Keeping those people off the roads, is a valid function of Government.
 
I dunno, this seems like a violation of rights.....not sure which ones....perhaps privacy or illegal search...or due process.

I wonder if these "experts" can tell if someone is on prescription drugs since that seems to be a bigger problem than pot or cocaine.
 
You are SO right, keeping roads safe is really just a bad, a bad thing Government has no right doing.

Roads are inherently not safe. Americans die in crashes everyday. You're willingly handing over freedom and empowering a police state with very little evidence to support that your proposal would even achieve what it claims to achieve. Proving that drivers smoked pot within the last 72 hours will do nothing to make roads safer.
 
I hate big government, I hate driving on roads with people under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Keeping those people off the roads, is a valid function of Government.

Perchance, but there's a difference in pulling people for dangerous driving and bringing in...what was it now? Drug recognition experts? lol.

Functional impairment, regardless of reason, is one thing. But this is just addition search and excuse for higher fines and punishment. It's a fundraising law.
 
Perchance, but there's a difference in pulling people for dangerous driving and bringing in...what was it now? Drug recognition experts? lol.

Functional impairment, regardless of reason, is one thing. But this is just addition search and excuse for higher fines and punishment. It's a fundraising law.

People trained to test for and spot those high on drugs. It's really not a big deal. Me thinks the protesting parties on this page fear this taking off... they might have to curtail driving.
 
People trained to test for and spot those high on drugs. It's really not a big deal. Me thinks the protesting parties on this page fear this taking off... they might have to curtail driving.

I already do. Wife and kids, can't be messing around (ain't an undergrad no more). But how do we know these "experts" are experts? These laws are beyond function. It's not just that one was swerving or driving dangerously, but they were "under influence". Alcohol is easy, it leaves the system quickly enough that if you test for it and detect it, they were drunk at the time. But once you are dealing with stuff that stays in the system for longer periods of time, it becomes increasingly more difficult to quantify inebriation states.

So now you have "experts". But the state has incentive to classify one as "under the influence" becuase they will excuse greater fines and punishments for doing so. It's not so much that dangerous driving shouldn't be policed, but rather the incentive of government to classify a crime as greater than it is because they can reap greater reward for doing so.
 
if you dont think drugs are a problem for drivers, you need to rethink your position

yes...just the same as alcohol

and we have laws against driving under the influence of alcohol

but as more and more states pass legal marijuana laws, this is becoming an issue

driving while high may become as big of a problem as drunk driving once was

Really? What data indicates this is 'becoming an issue'?
 
Ok, just a reminder, DUI means Driving Under the Influence, that means Alcohol, Pot, Illegal Drugs and even Prescription Drugs (which is the fastest rising statistic). That means there always have been laws against this, and as with Alcohol, people using other drugs can and are tested and yes arrested. Driving F'ed up is always stupid and should be punished, anyone arguing against that is probably an habitual offender. What you do at home, your friends and families home, or in the bar or Party is YOUR business, when you get behind the wheel it is Everyone else's business. Do not wanted to get busted, Do Not Drive when Under the Influence.
 
“drug recognition experts”

Basically people trained to make **** up.

Exactly. But OMG...there's all these druggies on the road and if you don't allow government the ability to search everyone and make **** up about it, then you're going to die!
 
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