State Police will ramp up enforcement of impaired driving through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7.
Law enforcement are stepping up patrols, and the state Thruway Authority and state Department of Transportation will have Variable Message Signs alerting motorists to the consequences of impaired driving.
During the 2019 enforcement campaign, law enforcement throughout the state issued 4,995 tickets for impaired driving and 170,378 tickets for other vehicle and traffic law violations.
<span “,sans-serif;=”” mso-ansi-language:=”” “=”” style=’box-sizing: border-box’>New York’s efforts to reduce impaired driving through targeted education and enforcement initiatives, like this crackdown, do work. <span “,sans-serif;=”” mso-ansi-language:=”” “=”” style=’box-sizing: border-box’>Fatal crashes involving an impaired driver have decreased over 19 percent from 2010 to 2019, according to preliminary data from the <span “,sans-serif;=”” font-size:=”” 10.5pt;=”” mso-ansi-language:=”” “=”” style=’box-sizing: border-box’>Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research at the UAlbany’s Rockefeller College.
The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation also remind motorists their <span “,sans-serif;=”” font-size:=”” 10.5pt;=”” mso-ansi-language:=”” “=”” style=’box-sizing: border-box’>”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.
“Driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol is a costly decision—from fines and legal fees to, most significantly, lives lost,” said state Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Mark Schroeder. “It compromises the safety of everyone sharing the road, but it is 100 percent preventable. The choice is simple—plan ahead so you and everyone on the road get to your destinations safely.”
The STOP-DWI “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign is part of ongoing efforts supported by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee to stop impaired driving and improve traffic safety. Together with the New York State STOP-DWI program, the GTSC supports enforcement efforts, law enforcement training and public information and education campaigns throughout the year. Most recently, the GTSC developed a new smartphone application, allowing law enforcement officials to contact a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) more efficiently.
DREs are specially trained officers who assist other law enforcement when a driver appears to be impaired, but alcohol has been ruled out as the cause or sole cause of impairment. DREs receive extensive training, sponsored by the GTSC, which allows them to observe and document indicators of impairment within different drug categories and to remove impaired drivers from New York State roadways.
“Through education and enforcement, the New York State Police work to keep drunk drivers off the road and remind people of the dangers of drinking and driving,” said State Police Superintendent Keith Corlett. “Impaired drivers cause needless deaths and injuries. Together, we can keep New York State’s roads among the safest in the nation.”