State Police to crack down on impaired driving through Labor Day

NEW YORK » Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday, New York State Police and law enforcement agencies statewide will be ramping up enforcement of impaired driving from Wednesday, Aug. 19 through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7.

The STOP-DWI “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign is designed to reduce alcohol and other drug-related traffic crashes, according to state officials.

“There is no excuse for driving impaired it’s reckless and puts not only yourself but everyone else on the road in danger,” Cuomo said in a news release.

“We have zero tolerance for this irresponsible behavior and we’re stepping up patrols to send a clear message: If you drink and drive, you will be caught and you will be held accountable,” Cuomo added.

New York’s efforts to reduce impaired driving through targeted education and enforcement initiatives, like this crackdown, are working. Fatal crashes involving an impaired driver have decreased over 19 percent from 2010 to 2019, according to preliminary data from the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research at the University at Albany’s Rockefeller College.

Throughout this enforcement blitz, officials said law enforcement will be stepping up patrols, and the NYS Thruway Authority and State Department of Transportation will have Variable Message Signs alerting motorists to the consequences of impaired driving to help deter this dangerous behavior.

During the 2019 enforcement campaign, officials noted that law enforcement throughout the state-issued 4,995 tickets for impaired driving and 170,378 tickets for other vehicle and traffic law violations.

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) and the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation also 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 program a designated driver list. It also provides information on DWI laws and penalties and provides a way to report a suspected impaired driver.

“Driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol is a costly decision—from fines and legal fees to, most significantly, lives lost. It compromises the safety of everyone sharing the road, but it is 100 percent preventable. The choice is simple—plan ahead so you and everyone on the road get to your destinations safely,” Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner and Chair of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee Mark J.F. Schroeder explained in the news

release.

“Through education and

enforcement, the New York State Police work to keep drunk drivers off the road and remind people of the dangers of drinking and driving. Impaired drivers cause needless deaths and

injuries.

“Together, we can keep New York State’s roads among the safest in the nation,” New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett added.