Highway Safety

The Winchester Police Department believes in highway safety. One of the main objectives of the department is making the highways safer for our citizens by detecting and apprehending impaired drivers.

Drivers are often impaired by substances other than alcohol. These substances can include illegal drugs, prescribed drugs, inhalants and in some cases, natural herbs that cause adverse effects on the human body. The definition of a "drug" is any substance which when introduced into the human body can impair the ability of the person to operate a vehicle safely.

In October 2004 all 17 patrol officers were certified in standardized field sobriety testing and in September 2005 the Winchester Police Department was one of seven departments in the state to have an officer certified as a Drug Recognition Expert in the field of impaired driving.