CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – With a rise in drugged driving incidents in Clarksville, police are getting a new tool that will help them record evidence of cannabinoid and opioid impairment: the DAX Recorder.
The Clarksville Police Department already has one such device – not yet in operation – and will soon get a second one, thanks to a partnership with AAA-The Auto Club Group, according to Police Sgt. Charles Gill.
A DAX Recorder from Ocular Data Systems allows officers to manually test eye movements and responses of a subject while directly observing and capturing responses on video, Gill said. The subject’s responses can then be stored and played back as evidence of impairment or for training purposes.
In 2020, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration research indicated drug prevalence is on the rise among drivers nationwide, according to the release.
The study of seriously or fatally injured road users found that the overall prevalence of alcohol, cannabinoids and opioids increased during the public health emergency compared to before.
Driving Under the Influence arrests in Clarksville:
- 2018: 369 arrests
- 2019: 409 arrests
- 2020: 670 arrests
“The increasing drugged driving challenge requires increased expertise, resources, and new technology to tackle, and this partnership is working toward that,” Gill said in a news release.
The devices are still a long way from being deployed: The department will need to establish policies surrounding their use and train officers on the new equipment, Gill told Clarksville Now.