OHP (Oklahoma Highway Patrol) troopers are conducting checkpoints throughout Oklahoma, together with in Muskogee, as they search for impaired drivers this New Year’s weekend.
State troopers mentioned they use statistics to find out hassle areas and assist decide areas good for checkpoints.
Troopers pull about six automobiles off to the facet at a time, examine your license, and search for indicators you may be drunk or excessive.
Other automobiles passing throughout that point can hold going.
If they assume you’re driving beneath the affect, they’ll provide you with a sobriety check.
Troopers mentioned you don’t need your new 12 months to begin off on the unsuitable foot. They mentioned driving beneath the affect may be expensive; not solely financially.
“It costs people their lives,” mentioned Lt. Chris Arnall. “The only good news I can even give tonight is we had zero fatalities last New Year’s. That’s usually unheard of and I think it was a result of law enforcement actually being out and working and we use these checkpoints as a deterrence.”
Lt. Chris Arnall mentioned there have been 34 crashes final New Year’s over a three-day interval that concerned impaired driving.
At the checkpoints, troopers search for indicators like bloodshot eyes, empty containers, slurred speech, and the odor of alcohol, earlier than conducting the three-step standardized discipline sobriety check; (1) Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, (2) Walk-And-Turn Test, (3) One-Leg Stand Test.
“It’s not a pass or fail type deal, but it’s clues that we’re looking for,” mentioned Lt. Chris Arnall.
After a three-step check, you may be requested to take a breathalyzer check.
“You have a right to refuse but when you refuse, you’re automatically gonna have your driver’s license revoked. [W]e don’t have to have those breath results in order to arrest somebody that’s impaired,” mentioned Lt. Chris Arnall. “They’re taking a chance when they refuse that test of what their point level is. […] If they think, ‘Oh, this machine is voodoo,’ or whatever, ‘I don’t believe the results that’s coming out,’ they have a right to ask for a blood test and we have to take them to a hospital and do it. Now the cost is on them.”
A blood check is the one present choice they’ve when medication impairment is detected.
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