Road Traffic Toxicology
Our road traffic forensic toxicologists have extensive experience in providing cost-effective and efficient analysis, interpretation and reporting of urine and blood samples from those involved in drink and/or drug driving offences.
By using state-of-the-art equipment in our own forensic laboratories, our toxicology experts can provide full analytical testing and assessment, culminating in tailored reports to suit customers’ requirements suitable for court presentation, as well as providing expert witness court testimony.
What our road traffic toxicology service provides
- Analysis of preserved whole blood specimens for the full panel of 17 analytes covered under the Section 5A specified limit offence of the Road Traffic Act (RTA) 1988
- Analysis of whole blood and urine specimens for common drugs of abuse and certain medicinal drugs
- Analysis of the proportion of alcohol (ethanol) in whole blood and urine specimens taken under the provisions of the RTA 1988
- Analysis for the presence of preservative (fluoride) in urine specimens
- Expert advice on the commonly encountered drugs of abuse and prescription drugs, including modes of use, dosage (recreational/prescribed), duration of effects and guidance on the likely duration of detection in blood/urine following typical abuse/recreational dose use
- Expert advice on the effects of alcohol and/or drugs in relation to human performance and potential impairment to driving ability (Section 4 RTA 1988 offences)
- Expert advice with alcohol technical calculations in road traffic casework (‘Alcohol Technical Defences’). This includes:
- Conducting a back-calculation to extrapolate a measured alcohol concentration at an earlier time where there has been a delay between the incident and the provision of the evidential specimen (eg due to a motorist absconding from the scene of a driving incident)
- Assessing the credibility of a motorist’s alleged drinking pattern by comparing the calculated theoretical alcohol concentration with that obtained from the evidential result
- Addressing ‘hip flask’ defences (ie adjustment of a calculated alcohol concentration to compensate for instances where a motorist claims to have consumed alcohol after driving but prior to the provision of the evidential specimen)
- Addressing ‘laced drinks’ defences (ie adjustment of a calculated alcohol concentration to compensate for alcohol that has been unknowingly consumed)
- Evaluating cases of drunk ‘in charge’ (ie determining at what time the motorist’s alcohol concentration would have fallen below the prescribed limit for instances where they have been arrested under an ‘in charge’ offence)
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What we can do
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Who better to design forensic testing services than forensic scientists themselves? Our Key Forensic Services experts will provide you with a wide range of quality services, including environmental testing and quality control testing.
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