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State Police to Crack Down on Impaired and Reckless Driving
During Super Bowl Weekend
Published: February 06, 2026
at 06:30 p.m.
By: Press Release
from New York State Police
State Police to crack down on impaired and reckless
driving during Super Bowl weekend
The New York
State Police will crack down on impaired and reckless driving during Super
Bowl weekend. The special STOP-DWI enforcement campaign, funded by the
Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, will include increased patrols and
sobriety checkpoints to deter, identify, and arrest impaired drivers, as
well as underage drinker enforcement. The enforcement initiative runs from
Friday, February 6, 2026, through Sunday, February 8, 2026.
While STOP-DWI
efforts across New York have led to significant reductions in the number of
drinking and driving fatalities, too many lives are still being lost
because of crashes caused by impaired drivers. During the 2025 Super Bowl
campaign, State Police arrested 161 people for impaired driving and issued
8,663 total tickets.
During this
enforcement period, drivers can expect a number of
sobriety checkpoints and DWI patrols. 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.
These vehicles blend in with everyday traffic but are unmistakable as
emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated. Drivers
should also remember to “move over” for stopped emergency and hazard
vehicles stopped on the side of the road when they travel New York
roadways.
An impaired
driving conviction carries a maximum fine of $10,000, up to 7 years in
prison and license revocation. If you are hosting, you’re the team captain!
Designate a responsible driver now to help your guests get home safely:
- Ask all of your
guests to designate their sober drivers in advance or help them
arrange ridesharing with sober drivers. If you don’t drink, offer to
drive guests home.
- Serve plenty of food and non-alcoholic
beverages at the party.
- Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third
quarter—this is a good time to serve coffee and dessert.
- Sign up online for a ridesharing service or
keep the phone numbers of local cab companies on hand and take the
keys away from any guests who are thinking of driving after drinking.
The Governor’s
Traffic Safety Committee and the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation “Have a Plan” mobile app, is
available for Apple, Droid and Windows smartphones. The app enables New
Yorkers to locate and call a taxi service and program a designated driver
list. It also provides information on DWI laws and penalties, and a way to
even report a suspected impaired driver.
Remember, if you
serve a guest alcohol and he or she gets in a crash that night, you could
be held liable.
If an underage
person drinks and drives, the parent or guardian can be legally liable for
any damage, injury or death caused by the underage driver.
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