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State Police to participate in national crackdown

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that the New York State Police and local law enforcement will participate in the national enforcement initiative to crack down on impaired driving this holiday season. State Police will participate in the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, which began Friday, Dec. 15 and continues through Saturday, Dec. 30. State Police will also be conducting an enforcement period over New Year’s Eve, from Sunday, Dec. 31 through Monday, Jan. 1, 2018. Drivers can expect to see sobriety checkpoints, along with more troopers on roadways during both campaigns.

“The holiday season is among the busiest travel times of the year and with families traveling near and far to visit loved ones, our law enforcement agencies will be redoubling their efforts to crack down on dangerous and impaired drivers,” Gov. Cuomo said. “I ask all motorists to stay safe, be responsible and obey the rules of the road in order to avoid unnecessary tragedies.”

In addition to the DWI checkpoints and patrols, Troopers will be watching for distracted drivers, vehicle occupants who are not properly buckled up and drivers violating the “Move Over Law,” which requires motorists to exercise extreme caution when passing emergency vehicles that are stopped in or on the side of the road. State Police will also conduct underage drinker enforcement details statewide.

Superintendent George P. Beach II said, “Our members work vigilantly year-round to keep our roadways safe and prevent the needless tragedies that result from impaired and reckless driving. However, our goal during the ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign is to step up our efforts during the holiday celebration season to reduce impaired driving crashes and remind motorists to make responsible driving decisions. To ensure that your holiday is a safe one for you and your loved ones, do not get behind the wheel of a vehicle if you’ve been drinking and make safety a priority when traveling this holiday season.”

During the campaign, Troopers will be using both marked State Police vehicles and Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement 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.

During last year’s crackdown, State Police issued 33,153 tickets. Of those tickets, more than 11,319 were for speeding, 1,107 were for distracted driving and 421 for the “Move Over Law.” There were also 571 people arrested for DWI and 15 people killed in a motor vehicle accident. These traffic enforcement campaigns are funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee.

Terri Egan, executive deputy commissioner of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and Acting GTSC chair, said “The holidays are a wonderful time of year, and we want New Yorkers to celebrate them responsibly and safely. Don’t end the year with a tragedy or an arrest.”

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