SS&S – Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE)

Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) Training Courses

DATES / LOCATIONS:
Roanoke County Criminal Justice Academy
• September 25-26, 2023; or,
• September 27-28, 2023.

Great Wolf Lodge-Williamsburg, 549 E Rochambeau Dr, Williamsburg, VA 23188
• October 2-3, 2023; or
• October 4-5, 2023.

Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement, or ARIDE, is a 16-hour course intended to bridge the gap between the Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) courses. Police officers, prosecutors and toxicologist will learn how to observe, identify, and articulate the signs of impairment related to drugs, alcohol, or a combination of both. One of the more significant aspects is the review and required student demonstration of the SFST proficiency requirements. The ARIDE course also stresses the importance of securing the most appropriate biological sample to identify substances causing impairment.

REQUIREMENTS:
This course is designed for those who have successfully completed a course using the 24-hour SFST curriculum approved by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Police officers must demonstrate proficiency in conducting Standardized Field Sobriety Testing to attend this course. Officers who cannot correctly demonstrate and articulate the tests will not be permitted to continue the course. This training will not qualify officers to serve as drug recognition experts.

REGISTRATION:
Registration is free. Attendees must register for and attend the entire two-day, 16-hour course. Course size is limited. Registration closes September 4.

The SFST program trains officers to identify and assess drivers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, while the DEC/DRE program provides more advanced training to evaluate suspected drug impairment. The SFST assessment is typically employed at roadside, while an officer trained as a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) through the DEC program conducts a 12-step evaluation in a more controlled environment such as a jail or a detention facility.

ARIDE is intended to bridge the gap between the SFST and DEC/DRE programs by providing officers with general knowledge related to drug impairment and by promoting the use of DREs in states that have the DEC Program. One of the more significant aspects of ARIDE is the required student demonstration of the SFST proficiency requirement. The ARIDE program stresses the importance of the signs and symptoms of the seven drug categories. This course will train law enforcement officers to observe, identify and articulate the signs of impairment related to drugs, alcohol, or a combination of both, to reduce the number of impaired driving incidents and crashes that result in serious injuries and fatalities. This course will educate other criminal justice professionals (prosecutors, toxicologists, judges, etc.) to understand the signs of impairment related to drugs, alcohol, or a combination of both, to enable them to effectively work with law enforcement in order to reduce the number of impaired driving incidents as well as crashes which result in serious injuries and fatalities.

ARIDE is a 16-hour training course and is taught by DRE instructors. The following summarizes the sessions contained in the ARIDE course:

The training will be conducted under the administration and approval of the DEC/DRE program state coordinator. To inquire about training, contact:

The ARIDE-course can be used as an SFST update. This course is designed to build on the Standardized Field Sobriety Test practitioner course. For the participant to effectively utilize the course information, NHTSA requires SFST proficiency first. All participants will receive a short review and update, and are required to pass an SFST proficiency evaluation. Failure to successfully complete the SFST proficiency evaluation will result in dismissal from class.