The Texas Department of Transportation's Traffic Safety Section was one of the recipients of GHSA and Responsibility.org's 2016 grants aimed at combating drug-impaired driving.
After experiencing a 19% increase in fatal crashes involving a drug-impaired driver between 2013 and 2014, TxDOT sought to add more law enforcement officers trained in Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) to their roads.
Through this grant, TxDOT provided funding to Sam Houston State University to hold seven ARIDE training courses – five in Northern and Western Texas, and two in South Texas. The Northern and Western Texas events trained 102 law enforcement officers, increasing the areas' number of ARIDE-trained officers by over 50%. Twenty-one law enforcement agencies throughout the region were represented.
The two South Texas events trained an additional 44 officers in ARIDE, reaching officers from 10 agencies in the region. In total, Texas was able to train 146 law enforcement officers in ARIDE through this grant, helping to increase safety and deter drugged driving on the state's roadways.