Colorado Bureau of Investigation to publish impaired driving toxicology data dashboard
A law enforcement website where visitors can learn how many toxicology tests for drugs are alcohol were completed by state and local police is now available.
The Colorado Division of Criminal Justice and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation launched a new toxicology dashboard to provide the latest data on drug and alcohol blood testing for suspected impaired driving offenses. It tracks how high blood-alcohol content tests are most common, and how much delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the psychoactive ingredient of cannabis — is found in tests performed (hint: about 30 percent of all tests included some THC).
The interactive dashboard, jointly announced Tuesday, aims to inform the public and improve understanding of trends in impaired driving, according to a CBI news release.
The website’s information will be updated every six months and will include data points such as average time to complete testing, percentage of samples in which impairing illegal substances are detected and the number of total toxicology tests completed by the agency, and which law enforcement agency submitted the tests like Colorado State Patrol.
Data presented in the dashboard is derived from blood toxicology tests completed by the CBI Forensic Services and is analyzed by the Office of Research and Statistics, Division of Criminal Justice.
CBI officials hope that the dashboard will help educate Colorado residents on the impact of impaired driving and provide data-driven insights for legislators and law enforcement officials.
“Data is one of the most powerful tools we have to drive change,” said Matthew Lunn, director of the Division of Criminal Justice, in a news release. “By bringing impaired driving toxicology results into public view, we’re not only advancing transparency, we’re giving communities, law enforcement, and lawmakers a clearer lens into the challenges we face and the strategies that can lead to safer roads across Colorado.”