Drivers in Fort Worth, Texas, were forced off a main road by a roadblock and then asked by police to give blood and saliva samples and submit to a breathalyzer as part of a study on drunk driving.
Though the police department would not confirm whether police were involved, the road block consisted of police cars, according to driver Kim Cope.
“It just doesn’t seem right that you can be forced off the road when you’re not doing anything wrong,” she said in a statement to a local NBC news station.
Cope said government officials asked to take saliva and blood samples. The tests were supposedly voluntary, and those who complied would be paid.
“They were asking for cheek swabs,” she said. “They would give $10 for that. Also, if you let them take your blood, they would pay you $50 for that.”
Cope declined the blood and saliva tests, but agreed to be breathalyzed. For this, she was paid no money.
NBC learned that the U.S. federal government has contracted researchers at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation to conduct the study. Similar roadblocks will be set up in 30 cities around the country.
A civil liberties attorney consulted by NBC said the roadblock was likely unconstitutional. He also questioned whether the tests were actually voluntary, given that drivers were actually breathalyzed by “passive alcohol sensor readings,” before they gave consent.
“They’re essentially lying to you when they say it’s completely voluntary, because they’re testing you at that moment,” said attorney Frank Colosi in a statement.