Police ready for holiday

Stepping up DWI enforcement

ALBANY, N.Y. » Members of the New York State Police and local law enforcement said they will be out in full force through Labor Day weekend as part of the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign to prevent drugged and drunk driving.

The national enforcement period began Friday and runs through Labor Day.

Law enforcement officials said the last few weeks of summer through Labor Day weekend traditionally results in heavy traffic throughout the state and that unfortunately, this increased flow of traffic brings with it increased accidents, serious injuries and fatalities.

Police said that because this period is marked by increased travel and end of summer celebrations that include alcohol consumption, law enforcement officials across the country have chosen to jointly participate in the campaign.

State police said its goal is to maximize enforcement efforts to ensure motorists are not needlessly injured or killed by an intoxicated or drug impaired drivers during this time.

“Traffic safety is a top priority, and each day Troopers work to ensure the well-being of all those who utilize New York’s roadways. During this campaign, we will step up our enforcement efforts to remove intoxicated, drug impaired and distracted drivers from our roadways. While we want everyone to enjoy the final few weeks of summer, we want them to do so responsibly. We have zero tolerance for reckless individuals who choose to drive while impaired,” State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II said in a news release.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drunk driving killed 10,497 people in 2016. On average, one person is killed every 50 minutes in an alcoholimpaired driving crash.

Police said drivers can expect to see sobriety checkpoints during the campaign, along with more troopers on major highways during this detail.

In addition to the DWI checkpoints and patrols, Troopers said they will also be watching for distracted or impaired drivers, vehicle occupants who are not properly buckled up, and drivers that are violating the Move Over Law.

During the campaign, which is funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, Troopers will be using both marked State Police vehicles and Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement (CITE) 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.

Officials said that over Labor Day Weekend 2017, the State Police made 193 DWI arrests and issued more than 21,900 tickets statewide.