State police to crack down on impaired and reckless driving during the holiday season
State police will participate in the “Drive High Get a DUI” national campaign and New Year’s impaired driving enforcement to crack down on impaired and reckless driving this holiday season.
The enforcement campaign runs from Wednesday, Dec. 14, through Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023. Drivers can expect to see sobriety checkpoints, along with more troopers on roadways during the campaign.
In addition to the DWI checkpoints and patrols, troopers will be watching for distracted drivers, vehicle occupants who are not properly buckled up and drivers who violate the “Move Over Law,” which requires motorists to exercise extreme caution when passing emergency vehicles that are stopped in or on the side of the road.
State police will also conduct underage drinker enforcement details statewide.
During the campaign, troopers will be using marked state police vehicles and Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement vehicles as part of the operation; the CITE vehicles allow troopers to more easily identify motorists who are using handheld devices while driving. CITE vehicles allow the trooper to better observe distracted-driving violations. These vehicles blend in with every day traffic, but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.
During last year’s crackdown, state police arrested 522 people for DWI and issued 35,016 tickets, including 12,285 tickets for speeding, 840 for distracted driving and 289 for Move Over Law violations.
State police also investigated 14 fatal crashes.
This campaigned is sponsored by the state STOP-DWI Foundation and funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. The GTSC and the STOP-DWI Foundation remind motorists that their Have a Plan mobile app is available for Apple, android and Windows smartphones. The app enables New Yorkers to locate and call a taxi or rideshare service and create a designated driver list.
It also provides information on DWI laws and penalties and provides a way to report a suspected impaired driver.
The state police and our partners urge all motorists to follow these simple tips to prevent impaired driving:
- Before drinking, designate a sober driver.
- If you’re impaired, use a taxi or ridesharing service, call a sober friend or family member or use public transportation.
- Use your community’s sober ride program.
- If you happen to see a drunken driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact local law enforcement.
- If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to their destination safely.