Police officers from four mid-state counties went through advanced training Wednesday to recognize drivers who shouldn’t be behind the wheel because of drug and alcohol use.
While the cops were in the classroom, six volunteers sat in another room getting drunk.
All municipal police learn how to spot and arrest drunk drivers. But as the problem has increased, specialized training was developed. It doesn’t get more realistic that the training held Wednesday.
Four men and two women volunteered to get legally drunk Wednesday morning. There was a state employee, a utility worker, a registered nurse, a corrections officer, a volunteer firefighter and a producer.
Under the supervision of trained facilitators, the ‘six pack’ began drinking beer, wine or liquor. Their blood alcohol content was monitored throughout the exercise.
After two hours, five of the six had exceeded the legal limit of .08. And while their drunken conditions were to be used for training purposes, the drinking was a learning opportunity for them.
“I had two small bottles of white zinfandel, and I blew a .049, the legal limit being a .08, and I know for myself right now I should not be driving,” commented PennDOT Highway Safety Specialist Fritzi Schreffler.
Schreffler insisted she’s not a big drinker. Tammy Frehling is a registered nurse who, despite noting she was legally drunk, was feeling okay to drive.
“It’s kind of scary because i feel that I’m okay to drink, drive and everything like that,” Frehling explained. “But according to the state, I am no longer able to drive.”
The book work done, the ‘dilated pupils’ and the volunteers returned to the classroom together Wednesday afternoon.
The volunteers sufficiently drunk, the police officers took what they learned and began administering the standardized field sobriety test.
This type of training is called “live dosing.” Pennsylvania is one of a few states where it is permitted. Others use video training.
Wednesday’s instructors say the live dosing is the most effective because police go home with a better understanding of impaired driving. The volunteers are driven home with a headache.
While the cops were in the classroom, six volunteers sat in another room getting drunk.
All municipal police learn how to spot and arrest drunk drivers. But as the problem has increased, specialized training was developed. It doesn’t get more realistic that the training held Wednesday.
Four men and two women volunteered to get legally drunk Wednesday morning. There was a state employee, a utility worker, a registered nurse, a corrections officer, a volunteer firefighter and a producer.
Under the supervision of trained facilitators, the ‘six pack’ began drinking beer, wine or liquor. Their blood alcohol content was monitored throughout the exercise.
After two hours, five of the six had exceeded the legal limit of .08. And while their drunken conditions were to be used for training purposes, the drinking was a learning opportunity for them.
“I had two small bottles of white zinfandel, and I blew a .049, the legal limit being a .08, and I know for myself right now I should not be driving,” commented PennDOT Highway Safety Specialist Fritzi Schreffler.
Schreffler insisted she’s not a big drinker. Tammy Frehling is a registered nurse who, despite noting she was legally drunk, was feeling okay to drive.
“It’s kind of scary because i feel that I’m okay to drink, drive and everything like that,” Frehling explained. “But according to the state, I am no longer able to drive.”
The book work done, the ‘dilated pupils’ and the volunteers returned to the classroom together Wednesday afternoon.
The volunteers sufficiently drunk, the police officers took what they learned and began administering the standardized field sobriety test.
This type of training is called “live dosing.” Pennsylvania is one of a few states where it is permitted. Others use video training.
Wednesday’s instructors say the live dosing is the most effective because police go home with a better understanding of impaired driving. The volunteers are driven home with a headache.