BOZEMAN — Some people may be surprised to learn that it’s more than just alcohol that can lead to a charge for driving under the influence (DUI).
"Car stops are a real unknown for officers. We don’t like to use the term routine traffic stop because none of them are really routine," Says Hal Richardson, Patrol Captain for the Bozeman Police Department.
Having worked for the department for 19 years, he says that as Bozeman grows, so has its rate of DUIs.
"We never know exactly if we have a DUI when we pull the vehicle over. So, vehicles will get pulled over for traffic violations if they’re weaving in and out of lanes or careless driving," Richardson says.
Gallatin County Sheriff’s Deputy Collin Kiewatt says a traffic stop is one of three steps that contribute to a charge. The second being an officer's interaction with a driver, and the third—field sobriety tests.
"There are three main tests that officers are trained on and are standard across the U.S. Horizontal gaze nystagmus, which is testing of the eyes. Then there’s walk and turn, and one leg stand," Says Deputy Kiewatt.
I asked Captain Richardson to walk me through some of these tests.
"If an officer gets to a point where they’re asking someone for a breath test, that officer suspects that there is impairment in that individual. So even if they blow zeros, the next thing the officer would be thinking about is, are they impaired by something other than alcohol," says Richardson.
Kiewatt says blood tests can pick up a variety of substances and estimates that a quarter of all DUIs have drug involvement.
"Everything from alcohol levels, they show. What I've noticed recently, methamphetamine, amphetamines, fentanyl, and heroin," says Kiewatt.
And after recreational marijuana was legalized in Montana in 2021—Kiewatt says more drivers are testing positive for THC, the main component of Marijuana.
Deputy Kiewatt says, "Under the influence of Marijuana, you tend to feel different, eat different, listen to music different. You also drive different."
So, if you’re unsure about your level of intoxication, whether by drugs, alcohol, or even prescriptions, Kiawatt says:
"Have a plan for how to get home. Because calling for an Uber or a taxi is a heck of a lot cheaper than a DUI."
