The Riverside County District Attorney's Office, California, has received a substantial grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), which totalled $679,708; reflecting an increase of more than $20,000 from last year. This funding boost is expected to fortify prosecutions against drivers suspected of being under the influence of drugs or a mix of drugs and alcohol, according to the DA's Office.
Thanks to this grant, three deputy district attorneys to, in Riverside County, will solely concentrate on driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) cases from start to finish. The success stemming from this system is observable; with the conviction rate of DUI and DUID drivers doubling since the OTS grant was extended to include county-wide DUID cases in 2014. Riverside's prosecutors are further benefiting from the state's Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Training Network to sharpen their DUID case-handling skills, including aiming to tackle the contemporary issue of drug-impaired driving.
Despite alcohol-impaired driving remaining a profound concern, it's a message of the OTS and Riverside County DA's Office that DUI includes driving while under the influence of prescription medications or marijuana.
The Riverside County Board of Supervisors, unanimously approving of the grant earlier this month, on October 3, acknowledged the appeal as a key asset in the quest against drug-related driving for the approaching year. The funding will be operational until September 30, 2024, and is provided through the National Highway Traffic Administration by the California OTS.
