NEW YORK STATE POLICE Major Edward J. KennedyTroop A Commander
PRESS RELEASE
The New York State Police and local law enforcement
statewide will increase patrols to combat drunk, impaired and reckless driving
this Memorial Day weekend. The STOP-DWI enforcement period starts on Friday,
May 25, 2018, and runs through Monday, May 28, 2018. Memorial Day is one of the
busiest travel holidays of the year and police will be out in force to remove
impaired and reckless drivers from our highways.
State Police
Superintendent George P. Beach II said, “For many New Yorkers, Memorial Day
marks the start of the summer travel season which means additional traffic and
increased risks on our roadways. As you plan your holiday weekend, remember to
make safety your top priority. Wear your
seat belt, remain alert and above all, drive sober. If you do drink, do not get
behind the wheel of any vehicle and make arrangements for a safe ride home.
Troopers will be vigilant in keeping our roadways safe throughout the holiday
weekend and will have zero tolerance for impaired and reckless drivers.”
Drivers can expect to see sobriety checkpoints and increased
patrols by State Police and local law enforcement agencies during this holiday
weekend. Troopers will be using both marked State Police vehicles and Concealed
Identity Traffic Enforcement (CITE) vehicles as part of this crackdown in order
to more easily identify motorists who are violating the law. CITE vehicles
allow the Trooper to better observe driving violations. These vehicles blend in with every day
traffic but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting
is activated.
According to the
Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC), drunk driving killed 272 people and
impaired driving injured more than 5,000 others in New York State during 2016.
Another 241 people were killed in drug-related crashes.
This initiative is
partially funded by the GTSC. The GTSC and the New York State STOP-DWI
Foundation remind motorists that their “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.
On Memorial Day
weekend in 2017, Troopers arrested 237 people for drinking and driving, issued
12,169 tickets, and investigated 146 personal injury crashes which resulted in
190 people injured. In addition to the
New York State Police, numerous counties and agencies throughout the state also
participated in last year’s Memorial Day Crackdown.
In Troop A on
Memorial Day weekend in 2017, Troopers arrested 15 people for drinking and
driving, issued 1,291 tickets, and investigated 41 personal injury crashes.
