State announces impaired driving crackdown through holiday season
Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently announced state and local law enforcement agencies throughout New York will be stepping up patrols to crack down on impaired driving during the holiday travel season. The enforcement campaign will run through Friday, Jan. 1.
This crackdown is part of the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” initiative designed to reduce alcohol and drug-related traffic crashes. It is sponsored by STOP-DWI with funding from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee.
“New York has zero-tolerance for impaired driving,” Cuomo said in a recent news release.
“Motorists who drive under the influence not only put themselves at risk, but endanger the lives of everyone else. Be safe and smart this holiday season, whether you’re on the road or not. If you must travel, drive sober or have a plan in place to get where you’re going safely,” Cuomo noted.
During the 2019 enforcement campaign, law enforcement throughout the state arrested 5,677 people for impaired driving. In total, 159,133 tickets were issued for vehicle and traffic law violations, state officials noted.
“The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee is proud to support these initiatives that help get impaired drivers off New York’s roads. I thank our law enforcement and STOP-DWI officials for their work in making holiday travel safer for everyone. It’s simple, have a plan to get home safely,” DMV Commissioner and Chair of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee Mark J.F. Schroeder stated in the news release.
“Every year, too many lives are ruined by impaired driving. Make sure you have a safe ride home,” NYS STOP-DWI Foundation Chairman Reginald Crowley added in the news release.
“As we celebrate the holiday season, we want to remind motorists to celebrate safely. If plans include alcohol, please plan ahead for a safe ride home. Driving impaired is a choice that can have serious, and sometimes deadly, consequences. The public’s safety is our top priority. As always, our Troopers will be highly visible and will have zero tolerance for impaired, reckless and distracted drivers,” State Police Acting Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen explained in the release.
“I encourage all of our association members to actively participate in this critically important statewide high visibility enforcement campaign. We share a unified goal in partnership with local, county and state law enforcement personnel to detect and remove impaired drivers from our roadways and to make them as safe as possible during this holiday season,” NYS Association of Chiefs of Police President Chief Patrick D. Phelan commented.
“The Sheriffs of New York State know many things will be different this holiday season but one thing remains the same, our dedication to keeping people safe on our roads. Impaired driving is unnecessary, dangerous, and illegal. Enjoy the holidays and have a plan to not drive impaired,” Washington County Sheriff and NYS Sheriffs’ Association President Jeffrey Murphy added.