State Police will begin its annual St. Patrick’s Day weekend crack down on drunk, impaired and reckless drivers on Friday, March 13 and will continue with increased patrols through Wednesday, March 18.
Drivers can expect to encounter additional DWI patrols and a number of sobriety checkpoints during the enforcement period. State Police will also conduct underage drinking and unlawful sales to minors details during the campaign.
During last year’s St. Patrick’s Day impaired driving enforcement, Troopers arrested 259 people for DWI, issued 371 tickets for distracted driving and 13,038 in total.
Drunk driving kills more than 10,000 people each year in our country. One person every 53 minutes dies of an alcohol related crash and every one of those deaths is preventable.
This St. Patrick’s Day, if you drink and drive, you face jail time, the loss of your license, a higher insurance rate, and dozens of unanticipated expenses. An impaired driving charge carries a maximum fine of $10,000.
The State Police is asking that if you plan on indulging this St. Patrick’s Day to:
- Designate a sober driver and leave your car keys at home.
- If you’re impaired, use a taxi or ridesharing service, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation so you are sure to get home safely.
- If available, use your community’s sober ride program
- Walking impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Designate a sober friend to walk you home.
And, if you see a drunk driver on the road, call local law enforcement.
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 report a suspected impaired driver.
