Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE)

Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE)

The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, in collaboration with the Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council's Field Services Training Division and the Department of Transportation's Highway Safety Office, is conducting a two-day training program on impaired driving enforcement. The course runs from Tuesday, February 16, 2027, through Wednesday, February 17, 2027, with sessions held daily from 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. at the Newtown Police Department, located at 191 South Main Street, Newtown, 06470.

Developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in partnership with the International Association of Chiefs of Police and a Technical Advisory Panel, this program bridges the gap between basic sobriety testing and advanced drug evaluation training. While the curriculum emphasizes drug-impaired driving detection, participants will also review standardized field sobriety tests and must demonstrate competency through a proficiency examination administered by an instructor to remain in the course.

The training provides officers with foundational knowledge about drug impairment, including an overview of seven major drug categories and their physiological effects on the body. Participants will develop skills in observing, recognizing, and articulating the signs and symptoms of impairment caused by drugs, alcohol, or combinations thereof. The program also covers medical conditions and other factors that may mimic impairment signs, the significance of eye examinations in identifying potential drug categories, current updates in sobriety testing procedures, and legal considerations associated with impaired driving enforcement, including pre-arrest and post-arrest protocols.

Candidates must have previously attended and successfully completed a NHTSA/IACP-approved Standardized Field Sobriety Tests training program that included a wet lab component.

Enrollment is capped at thirty-four attendees. Interested officers should submit a registration form via the Acadis portal by Tuesday, January 26, 2027. For questions, contact the Field Services Training Division at post.fieldservices@ct.gov.

This course carries no tuition fee. Lunch options are available at nearby restaurants. The uniform dress code established in POST In-Service training General Notice 23-02 will apply. Training supervisors are responsible for ensuring assigned personnel understand and comply with dress code requirements.

Participants must bring their own laptop computer to access course materials.

Training Credit Hours

• Area 610 Impaired Driving (13 hours)