Arkansas law enforcement agencies will increase patrol officer presence on roads and highways later this week as part of a regional effort to stop drivers impaired by drugs.
The “Drive High - Get a DWI” initiative begins Friday, April 19 and continues through Saturday, April 20. Local police, sheriff’s deputies and highway patrol troopers will intensify enforcement of drug impaired driving laws.
The Saline County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) is among agencies participating in the initiative, which is backed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“It's widely known that drunk driving is not okay, but drugged driving or drug-influenced driving is one that's emerging now as a societal problem,” said Lt. Joseph Traylor, a spokesperson for SCSO.
Three teams of deputies will work overtime in order to patrol interstates, highways, and roads throughout Saline County.
“It's not a secretive thing so we can trap people,” Traylor said. “It's simply a public safety service.”
April 20, or 4/20, is a day widely known for cannabis-related celebrations.
“It is a huge recreational drug day throughout the calendar, so this is absolutely a targeted effort to try to seek out and stop that activity specifically,” Traylor said.
However, he said officers will be on the lookout for all impairment – regardless of how a driver came to possess the drug, and whether the substance is prescribed or illegal to possess.
“Essentially, we're looking for anything that shows that your reactions are slowed to where you can't safely control your vehicle,” Traylor said.
Traylor urges anyone under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol to find a designated driver, or plan for a sober ride home.
Law enforcement agencies in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma are also part of the effort. Impaired driving is illegal in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.