The Pennsylvania State Police announced that troopers made 18,412 driving under the influence arrests in 2020, which reflects a 17% decrease from the total number of DUI arrests (22,139) in 2019.

In addition, troopers investigated 4,157 DUI-related crashes in 2020.

“The Pennsylvania State Police has a zero-tolerance approach toward driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” said Col. Robert Evanchick, commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police.

“Impaired driving is a serious crime that continues to impact our roadways. Troopers were tasked with additional duties during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they continued to work with our law enforcement partners to keep our roadways safe through a combination of DUI education and enforcement.”

In Pennsylvania, a driver is guilty of DUI if they are impaired by any substance.

Troopers certified as drug recognition experts receive specialized training to identify the physiological signs of impairment caused by a wide range of controlled substances.

State police DREs conducted 1,192 drug influence evaluations in 2020.

Locally, Troop M, which covers the Lehigh Valley had 988 DUI arrests, 230 DUI crashes and 59 DRE evaluations. Troop N, which includes Carbon and Monroe counties, had 1,329 DUI arrests, 223 DUI crashes and 64 DRE evaluations.

Troop R, which includes Schuylkill County, had 670 DUI arrests, 201 DUI crashes, and 2 DRE evaluations.

These figures reflect information from the Pennsylvania State Police and do not include information from other law enforcement agencies in the commonwealth.

State police community services officers regularly speak about DUI prevention and other traffic safety topics at schools, community events, and businesses.

Their presentations are offered at no charge and may be requested by contacting your local state police station.