A nitrous oxide breathalyser is being trialled by West Yorkshire Police
The kit is thought to be a world first
A nitrous oxide breathalyser is being trialled by West Yorkshire Police along with other UK forces in what's believed to be a world first.
Over the last two weeks officers in Bradford District have been seeing if it can detect the Class C drug through a roadside breath test.
If successful - it could be used to help prosecute drug driving offences in the future.
West Yorkshire Police is one of several forces trialling the kit with the data being collated to build up an evidence base for its accuracy and functionality.
The breath test was created by Respira Technologies, the device takes a reading of the amount of nitrous oxide particles per million (ppm) in any sample of breath.
This project is funded by the Office of the Police Chief Scientific Advisor with the support of the National Police Chiefs Council.
Inspector Jodie Scatchard of Bradford District Police said:
“This is a massive step forward as part of our commitment to Vision Zero and elimination of road deaths across the county.
“There currently isn’t a device that detects the Class C drug, if this trial is successful, it will no doubt will save lives across our roads.
“We are seeing a growing trend in drivers using Nitrous Oxide behind the wheel and not understanding the harm in can cause.
“We are proud to have been part of a trial to test new and innovative technology which will benefit policing and safeguard people on our roads hopefully in the near future.”