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State Police to Crack Down on Impaired and Reckless Driving
Over Thanksgiving Holiday
Published: November 23, 2024
at 11:00 a.m.
By: Press Release
from New York State Police
State Police to crack down on impaired and reckless
driving over the Thanksgiving holiday
The New York
State Police will participate in a special traffic enforcement initiative
to crack down on unsafe driving behaviors during the upcoming Thanksgiving
holiday. The special traffic enforcement period runs from Saturday,
November 23, 2024, through Sunday, December 1, 2024.
New York State
Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “A common threat
on our roads that we continually fight is impaired and drunk driving.
Traffic enforcement is imperative to everyone’s well-being and the goal of
making this holiday a safe one. The New York State Police proudly joins our
law enforcement partners in the ongoing effort to discourage, detect, and
apprehend impaired and drunk drivers.”
The State Police
will supplement regular patrols statewide, including fixed sobriety
checkpoints, which targets distracted drivers by
utilizing Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement (CITE) patrol vehicles to
better locate drivers talking or texting on handheld devices. These
unmarked vehicles blend in with everyday traffic but are unmistakable as
emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.
Elevated traffic
volumes typically occur during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. It is also
a time when alcohol consumption is widespread. During the 2023 Thanksgiving
holiday period, troopers arrested 178 drivers for DWI, issued 4,349
speeding tickets, and 362 tickets for distracted driving.
The Thanksgiving
impaired driving enforcement initiative is funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC).
The GTSC and the New York State 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
program a designated driver list. It also provides information on DWI laws
and penalties, and provides a way to report a
suspected impaired driver.
If you drive
drunk or drugged, you not only put your life and the lives of others at
risk, you could face arrest, jail time, and
substantial fines and attorney fees. The average drinking and driving
arrest costs up to $10,000.
Arrested drunk
and drugged drivers face the loss of their driver’s license, higher
insurance rates, and dozens of unanticipated expenses from attorney fees,
fines and court costs, car towing and repairs, and lost time at work.
The New York
State Police, GTSC and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
recommend these simple tips to prevent impaired driving:
- Plan a safe way home before the
fun begins;
- Before drinking, designate a sober driver;
- If you’re impaired, use a taxi or ride
sharing service, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation;
- Use your community’s sober ride program;
- If you suspect a driver is drunk or impaired
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 where they are going safely.
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