Daft Question
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Discussion

nikaiyo2

Original Poster:

5,959 posts

225 months

Tuesday 1st May 2018
quotequote all
I was watching one of those police fly on wall documentary things the other night, the one set in Newcastle, not sure if that is relevant, but it might be!

On maybe 3 occasions a police car would pull up a car, breathalize the driver and they would be negative, the police would then have to call a traffic car to do the tongue swipe drug test thing... Why?

HantsRat

2,409 posts

138 months

Tuesday 1st May 2018
quotequote all
Maybe because only the traffic officers were trained/have the kit on them?

captain_cynic

17,335 posts

125 months

Tuesday 1st May 2018
quotequote all
nikaiyo2 said:
I was watching one of those police fly on wall documentary things the other night, the one set in Newcastle, not sure if that is relevant, but it might be!

On maybe 3 occasions a police car would pull up a car, breathalize the driver and they would be negative, the police would then have to call a traffic car to do the tongue swipe drug test thing... Why?
If its the same tests they do in Australia, they're testing for the presence of other narcotics.

The breathalyser only detects alcohol.

As for why they need a separate patrol car, again, presuming it's the same as Australia the drug swab machine requires special certification where as every cop (in Oz) is trained on the brethalyser (Oz had a huge problem with drink driving up until the 90's where every police officer was given the power to do a random breath test).

nikaiyo2

Original Poster:

5,959 posts

225 months

Tuesday 1st May 2018
quotequote all
HantsRat said:
Maybe because only the traffic officers were trained/have the kit on them?
Yeah I kind of figured that bit out.

It’s just seems a fairly simple test, no more involved than the breathalyser, I would assume it’s an indicative test so the actual evidence would be gather at a station as opposed to road side.
Just wondered if there was more to it.

Cognoscenti

102 posts

122 months

Tuesday 1st May 2018
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Many forces don't routinely permit response to do breathalyser tests, they would usually get assistance from roads policing to do that on their behalf if they believe the driver is under the influence... Why? Roads Policing are specifically trained (and paid) to deal primarily with driving offences.

Put it this way... If someone asked you a complex math question, and your friend was a math teacher. The chances are you'd turn to them for the answer or allow them to deal with the query. Same with the Police, they allow their specially trained colleagues to deal with what their specially trained to know about smile