Essex County OPP are using a new drug tester while cracking down on truck safety.
Local officers are participating in the Operation Safe Trucking Provincial traffic safety campaign between Aug. 18 and 24.
New to the OPP's arsenal in its efforts to keep Ontario's roads safe, is the DRAGER Drug Test 5000.
This unit detects the presence of cannabis and/or cocaine in saliva by way of a swab of the inside of a driver's mouth when suspected of being under the influence of either substance.
The Traffic Management Unit and general patrol officers will concentrate their traffic enforcement efforts on commercial motor vehicle violations in relation to the "Big 4" casual factors which include speeding; seatbelt related charges, distracted driving and impaired driving.
The OPP's goal is to ensure and promote safe driving practices for all Ontario citizens travelling the roadways.
On Aug. 19 and 20, the Essex County TMU participated in a joint traffic safety initiative with the Ministry of Transportation on Highway 3 and at the Highway 401 eastbound weigh scales.
Over the course of the two days, about 500 motor vehicles were checked resulting in the following statistics:
-29 inspections conducted
-11 commercial motor vehicles placed out of service
-22 charges laid
In addition, the OPP conducted three tests on the DRAGER Drug Test 5000 resulting in one test registering positive for the presence of cannabis.
This test was the first positive test result obtained provincially by the OPP since the instruments were introduced into service earlier in 2019.
This commercial motor vehicle operators driver's licence has been suspended for three days.
"Utilizing advanced technology such as the Drager Drug Test 5000 enables our officers to perform the requisite tests in determining the illegal level of Cannabis in a driver of a motor vehicle,” says Inspector Glenn Miller. “Essex County OPP will remain steadfast in our efforts to ensure that drivers adhere to all legislative requirements required under law and with the support of the community immediately reporting suspected unlawful driving activity."
