In 2023, there were over 1,500 drug-impaired drivers for each certified drug recognition expert (DRE) in the United States. Research has shown that a 10 percent increase in driving under the influence (DUI) arrests results in a 1 percent reduction in crashes, and deterrence increases at a greater rate than enforcement. Impaired driving enforcement saves lives and DREs are a critical piece of the effort, but there is currently more work than trained specialists to do it.

There were more than 11,000 active DREs worldwide as of December 2019. In February 2024, there were fewer than 8,500. This number is going in the wrong direction.

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