The traffic police are cautiously optimistic about a new approach: quick, on‑road tests that can detect drug impairment directly at the scene. This viewpoint comes from Dmitry Mitroshin, who heads the Scientific Center for Road Safety within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. The idea is to identify potential drug involvement at the roadside so drivers can be stopped for further evaluation rather than relying solely on later checks.
Yet Russia faces several hurdles before such a mechanism can become a standard practice. Establishing a solid legal framework poses a major challenge, and the process of confirming drug impairment remains far more complex than alcohol impairment. Even within medical facilities, obtaining rapid and reliable results for drugs can be a slow process, delaying decisive actions.
The very nature of drug impairment adds layers of complexity. There are many nuances in how substances affect judgment and reaction times, and different drugs, doses, and individual tolerance can produce a wide range of effects. This intricate reality helps explain why rapid, on‑the‑spot testing has not yet been rolled out nationwide.
In terms of express tests themselves, they do not by themselves assign blame or responsibility. Instead, they are designed to flag individuals who may require closer examination. The goal is to create a preliminary assessment on the road, after which laboratory analysis can provide a final, authoritative conclusion.
Some technologies already exist that can indicate chronic drug use, such as specialized chromatographic equipment. These devices can identify long‑term exposure patterns, but they come with substantial costs. Procurement is not enough; operators need extensive training to use the equipment correctly, and that training takes time and resources.
Taken together, an express testing regime would enable law enforcement to identify potentially impaired drivers and direct them to comprehensive follow‑up investigations. It would not replace lab testing, but it could speed up the process of distinguishing cases that require deeper scrutiny from those that do not.
Implementation would require careful balancing of public safety with civil rights, clear procedures for results, and ongoing oversight to ensure fairness and accuracy. Stakeholders would need to agree on which substances are covered, how cutoffs are defined, and how to handle false positives or negatives in the field.
Progress in this arena varies by country, with several jurisdictions exploring similar road‑side screening concepts. The experience of those regions highlights the importance of robust training, transparent protocols, and the ability to scale laboratory capacity to confirm rapid test findings. In Russia, continued dialogue among law enforcement, health authorities, and legal experts will be essential before any widespread deployment.
Overall, express tests hold the promise of improving roadside safety by providing a quick, initial indication of potential drug impairment. They represent a step toward more effective traffic policing while preserving the integrity of subsequent laboratory confirmation.