Impaired drivers in and around Butler County beware: troopers are on the job. And they're good at their work.

Only two troops, in the Harrisburg and Lancaster regions, had more DUI arrests last year than Troop D Butler, according to data recently released by state police.

Statewide, officers in the 16 troops made 20,143 DUI arrests in 2018, compared to 19.963 in 2107 — a nearly 1 percent increase.

Troop D — which covers Butler, Armstrong, Beaver, Mercer and Lawrence counties — recorded 1,719 DUI arrests last year. In 2017, the troop made 1,459 arrests.

Year to year, that's an increase of almost 18 percent.

“It's alarming, the number of people driving on alcohol and drugs,” said Sgt. John Herold, who is patrol unit supervisor at the Troop D station in Butler.

Last year, Troop H — which includes Dauphin, Adams, Cumberland, Franklin and Perry counties in central Pennsylvania — had the most DUI arrests at 2,444.

Troop J — which covers the southeastern part of the state, including Lancaster, Chester and York counties — had 1,819 DUI arrests in 2018.

Closer to home, Troop E — covering Erie, Crawford, Venango and Warren counties — made 1,143 DUI arrests, and Troop B — serving Allegheny, Fayette, Greene and Washington counties and a portion of Westmoreland County — made 1,648 DUI arrests.

“We have zero tolerance toward impaired driving, that's across the state,” said Trooper Brent Miller, state police communications director. “DUI enforcement is one of the top priorities of our troopers through education and also enforcement.”

But Miller downplayed the increase in the number of arrests for driving under the influence, even the relatively large hike in Troop D, which he suggested could be something of a cyclical anomaly.

“Numbers fluctuate over time,” he noted.

In 2016, Troop D accounted for 1,352 of the state's 19,518 DUI arrests.

Improved training of troopers to recognize drunken and drugged drivers, Miller said, is one reason for the DUI arrest numbers.

Specifically, officers have received instruction known as Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement, or ARIDE.

The program, which was developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, helps troopers determine if a driver is impaired by something other than booze — such as marijuana or prescription medication.

The instruction provides officers with the symptoms to look for if they suspect someone could be under the influence of an unknown drug or combination of drugs.

Erratic behavior and eyelid or body tremors are some of the telltale signs.

“ARIDE is a proactive approach to law enforcement,” Miller said.

Troopers, he added, can also tap the department's certified recognition experts during DUI investigations. The so-called DREs are officers with even more specialized training in the detection of drugged drivers.

Miller said the data does not differentiate between alcohol DUI and drug DUI.

Across Pennsylvania, troopers in 2018 investigated 4,926 DUI-related crashes, the police figures showed. That's down from the 5,180 DUI crashes in 2017.

Troop D saw 409 such crashes, the fourth most of all troops. In 2017, there were 384 DUI-related wrecks in the Butler-based troop.

“I've seen the results of DUI crashes,” Herold said. “That was a motivation for me to hunt DUI drivers and get them off the road.”

Last year, Troop H and Troop K — which covers Philadelphia, Montgomery, and Delaware counties — had the most DUI-related crashes, with 557 and 447, respectively.

Miller said police will continue to target impaired drivers during routine patrols and stepped-up enforcement details. To avoid becoming a DUI statistic, he urged drivers to choose the “many options” at their disposal.

“Obtain a designated driver or use a ride share (Uber or Lyft),” he said. “The National Highway Traffic Safety also has the SaferRide app.”

The app, which is available for free download on Apple or Android devices, can be used to find a taxi or ridesharing service, or to call a friend for family member, and it provides a map of the user's current location.

The app, Miller said, can be accessed through the state's website at www.lcb.pa.gov/Education/Resources/Pages/SaferRide.aspx.