Drugged Driving Becoming More Of An Issue

State Troopers and Inspectors are encountering more drugged drivers on our roadways. Inspector Scott Hlinak says just like drunken drivers those motorists show signs of impairment. People under the influence of alcohol exhibit slurred speech or stumble when they walk. Those high on drugs also show impairment signs that troopers and inspectors look for. Sometimes on a traffic stop they will call in a drug recognition expert. Usually that’s after the person fails a field sobriety test, but their impairment signs aren’t clear and there’s no drug paraphernalia present to help identify the drug that was taken. Hlinak says sometimes they don’t know what drug a person is on until blood tests come back. Troopers and Inspectors are now also getting training to administer Narcan in case they deal with someone who is overdosing on drugs.