Welcome to the Quarterly North Dakota Impaired Driving Newsletter. This resource will provide training information, drug and alcohol trends, legal updates, toxicology,
and more to keep you informed.
Toxicology is an important topic, not often covered in judicial education. It’s more like an elective, buried deep in the course catalog. An elective that we all should take but often miss because we are busy taking the required courses, like procedure, torts, contracts and evidence. But wait, toxicology is evidence! This quarterly issue narrows down the topic to what judges and court personnel should know about toxicology. Also, inside this issue of the newsletter are the most recent 2026 North Dakota crash statistics along with the usual case law and resource/training sections.
Farm equipment roadway crashes most often occur with tractors, planters, combines and other large machinery. Farm trucks and trailers, given their size, weight and speed, are also at risk. Safety experts advise ensuring trucks and trailers are in good operating condition, clearly marked with required lighting and loaded securely.
During the week of June 1-7, 2025, trained observers visited 320 sites across 16 counties to collect seat belt use observations for drivers and right front-seat passengers in vehicles with gross vehicle weights up to 10,000 lbs. North Dakota’s seat belt use study provides statistically reliable data from a field survey of driver and right front-seat passenger seat belt use.
