The federal government is giving Saskatchewan $5.4 Million to help combat drug-impaired driving.

The money will be distributed over the next five years and will support front line law enforcement officers by increasing the the capacity among front line officers in testing and recognition evaluation.

While there are reports of those tests only being accurate 43-62% of the time, Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale said technology is improving all the time when it comes to roadside safety.

“The science is different between alcohol and drugs,” Goodale said. “The science with respect to detecting alcohol is a far higher percentage, but the science is still evolving when it comes to detecting drugs.”

The funding will also be used to develop standardized data collection and reporting practices.

Minister of SLGA Gene Makowsky said tackling impaired driving of all kinds is a priority for the province.

“We know that long weekends could also see a possible increase in the number of impaired drivers,” Makowsky said. “We want everyone who may be driving this weekend to have a safe and secure long weekend to get home safely and I’m sure that police services across the province will be doing the good work as they always do.”

Regina Police Chief Evan Bray said these training opportunities are expensive ventures.

“It’s lengthy, it’s intensive, (and) it’s a level of expertise for our officers that makes them extremely valuable on the road, but it costs money to get that done,” Bray said. “This commitment, $5.4 Million for the province of Saskatchewan is so greatly appreciated, and it will definitely make a difference.”

This federal funding comes from a previously announced 81 million dollar investment into public and road safety across the country.