Crime & Safety
State Police Suspend Use of Breathalyzers in DUI Stops
Pennsylvania State Police will now use blood tests for all DUI stops.
The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) have temporarily suspended the use of breathalyzers in DUI stops, meaning that DUI arrests may increase in areas patrolled by the PSP by detecting drugs in addition to alcohol, according to CBS3.
A Dauphin County Court ruling prompted the decision, where a judge threw out a DUI charge after the reliability of the breathalyzer test using the Intoxilyzer 5000, which is used throughout Pennsylvania, was questioned.
“Anytime we arrest someone for DUI now instead of taking them to get a breath sample, we’re now taking a blood sample and taking that off to the lab to be analyzed,” PSP Spokesman Adam Reed told CBS3.
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According to George Geisler of the PA DUI Association, this action will mean safer roads, because blood tests will allow police to detect drivers who are under the influence of drugs in addition to alcohol.
For more information, read the CBS3 article here.
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