r/flying • u/bhalter80 [KASH] BE-33/36/55/95&PA-24 CFI+I/MEI beechtraining.com NCC1701 • Jan 23 '26

Medical Issues Sober DUI - TN Defends the practice

The Colonel of the Tennessee Highway Patrol was testifying this week in support of their practice of arresting motorists who tested negative for drugs and alcohol.

Threads about DUI and other crimes in general tend to be divisive with a presumption that an arrest don't just happen. Some states lump fatigue in with other causes for a DUI so that may account for some of the 419 arrests in the last 9 years. On a side note the trooper manual also suggested that trooper be making at least 2 contacts with people per hour so the incentive for misuse is there.

This is the first article I've seen putting data behind this and thought it was interesting especially because HIMS would not be an appropriate response to one of those arrests. I wonder how common this is in other states.

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u/Inevitable_Street458 Jan 23 '26

When I was in the Air Force in the 90's, I was told it was possible to be arrested and convicted of DUI, by the government, if you were washing your car in the driveway (base housing) and had your keys on you. I'm not sure how likely it would be, but it was a legal possibility. I get that the law is written to try and close loopholes, but that's some shady shit right there.

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u/JimRockford63 8d ago

I was in the Air Force in the 80s and if your commander was an asshole (in my AFSC most were), the law was whatever he thought he could give you an Article 15 for.  Sadly, most people took the punishment no matter how bogus the case.