Statewide crackdown on impaired and distracted driving this Memorial Day weekend

The New York State Police and local law enforcement across the state will be increasing patrols to combat impaired and distracted driving this Memorial Day weekend. The initiative starts on Friday, May 27th and runs through Monday May 30, 2016.

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 Joseph A. D’Amico said, “On Memorial Day, we take time to honor the brave men and women who died in service to our county, remembering the sacrifice they made for all of us. As you plan your holiday weekend, we remind motorists to make safety their top priority: Drive sober, put on your seat belt and put down your smart phone. State Troopers will be highly visible this weekend and will have zero tolerance for impaired, reckless and distracted drivers.”

According to the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC), drunk driving killed 317 people and injured more than 5,600 others in New York State during 2014. Another 188 people were killed in drug-related crashes.

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.

This initiative is partially funded by the GTSC.

On Memorial Day weekend in 2015, Troopers arrested 187 people for drinking and driving, and issued more than 12,000 tickets.

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Submitted by Brewster, NY

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