As has already been widely reported, Pennsylvania state police arrested a record number of motorists for driving under the influence last year. But a Scranton Times-Tribune article suggests that greater scrutiny of motorists' drug use might be one of the main reasons for the increase.
More than 1,100 Pennsylvania drivers were tested by police last year for signs of illegal and prescription drug impairment. A new state training program on drug impairment has made state troopers better able to detect dangerous drivers, often leading to DUI arrests.
And as any Philadelphia DUI lawyer will tell you, impairment by legal prescriptions drugs, let alone illicit substances, is at least as serious under the law as drunk driving.
It's just not as easy for most cops to detect.
George Geisler, a law enforcement expert with the Pennsylvania DUI Association, said any trooper can spot a driver who is likely drunk; but that pinpointing and proving drug use is much more difficult. The eyes, he said, usually give it away; but officers need probable cause first before they are able to get that close to a suspect.
He said he strongly believes that the drug recognition training program is one reason why DUI arrests are on the rise, not necessarily because of an overall increase in impaired driving. And motorists under the influence of other drugs, he said, often are also intoxicated on alcohol.
Lt. Stephen Barilar said the impact of his Hazleton troop's certification of two drug recognition experts has had a "huge" impact on DUI arrests. He reflected on the times he suspected something was amiss with a driver, even when there was no alcohol involved.
One of his troopers recently arrested a man suspected of driving under the influence of the powerful opioid OxyContin:
"The OxyContin is something I honestly would not have caught."
But now, it seems, they are catching drugged drivers much more often.
Related Resources:
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DUI - Arrest (FindLaw)
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Drunk Driving Down; Drugged Driving Sky High (FindLaw's Blotter Blog)
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Browse Philadelphia DUI Lawyers (FindLaw)
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