Chester County ranks second in number of DUI arrests statewide
Only the Harrisburg region had more DUI arrests last year than Chester County, according to numbers released by the Pennsylvania State Police.
State troopers made 20,143 DUI arrests statewide last year, compared to 19,963 in 2017. State police also investigated 4,926 DUI-related crashes in 2018, according to the release. Troopers investigated slightly more DUI-related crashes in 2017 with 5,180, and conducted 631 drug influence evaluations.
Troop J, covering Chester County, had 1,819 DUI arrests last year, and saw 338 DUI-related accidents. Only Troop H, covering the Harrisburg area, had more, with 2,444 arrests in 2018.
Troop K, covering Delaware County, had 1,707 DUI arrests in 2018 and saw 447 DUI-related crashes, according to figures released by the state police. Troop T, covering Montgomery County, had 167 DUI arrests last year.
Corrinne Arnosky, manager of victim services at the local Mothers Against Drunk Driving chapter, said she has noticed police are doing more to get drunk drivers off the roads, including increasing DUI checkpoints, also known as roadside safety checks.
“Over the last few years there has been a greater awareness of drunk and drugged driving,” she said. “(Police) have added more locations and dates for checkpoints. And officers are now more aware and trained regularly to look for signs of impairment.”
The vigilance by police appears to be paying dividends. In 2017, alcohol-related fatalities in Pennsylvania decreased to 293 from 297 in 2016. But 18 percent of the driver fatalities in the 16 to 20 age group were drinking drivers, up from 12 percent in 2016. And 74 percent of DUI-related accidents were caused by men, according to the Pennsylvania DUI Association.
“First responders see the devastating effects of impaired driving every day,” said State Police Commissioner Col. Robert Evanchick in a release. “Through a combination of education and enforcement, we continue to work with our law enforcement and safety partners to address this serious issue.”
A driver is guilty of DUI in Pennsylvania if they are impaired by any substance, including alcohol, prescription or over-thecounter medication, and illicit drugs, according to the release. DRE-certified troopers receive specialized training to identify the physiological signs of impairment caused by a wide range of controlled substances.
Arnosky attributed the popularity of local ride sharing programs to more people deciding not to get behind the wheel after they have been drinking.
“There’s no reason to drive impaired today,” Arnosky said. “There is no excuse. In areas that have ride sharing programs and public transportation, DUI arrests are down. Zero is our ultimate goal, and we won’t stop doing what we are doing until we get to zero, and even then we will continue to promote it so it stays at zero.”
There were 1,208 traffic fatalities in Pennsylvania in 2017, and of these, 368 (approximately 30 percent) involved an alcohol-impaired driver who had a blood-alcohol content that was at or above the legal limit of .08 percent.
“Troopers have a zerotolerance approach toward impaired driving but would rather prevent a DUI by educating drivers than arrest them or respond to a DUIrelated crash,” said Evanchick. “Every motorist has the responsibility to keep themselves and others safe by wearing their seat belt, eliminating distractions, and never driving while impaired.”