New York law enforcement is cracking down on drunk driving this holiday season with a new campaign that warns motorists in the city and beyond to “drive sober or get pulled over.”
Governor Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday announced the initiative, which officials hope will help to reduce alcohol and drug-related car accidents through the winter holidays by means of more traffic patrols and zero tolerance for impaired driving.
“I am asking every driver to consider the danger they pose to themselves and others when they choose to drive impaired. There will be zero tolerance for impaired driving, and state and local law enforcement will be highly visible to ensure that every impaired driver is caught and held accountable.” Gov. Cuomo said in a press release.
The campaign runs through Jan. 1, 2020, and is sponsored by the Special Traffic Options Program for Driving While Intoxicated (STOP- DWI.) It also has funding from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC.)
In 2018, New York state arrested 4, 142 people for impaired driving, and issued 144,197 tickets for other traffic law and vehicle violations.
“All year long, our members work diligently to reduce impaired driving crashes and promote traffic safety,” said New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett. “Our goal during the holiday season is to step up our efforts to take intoxicated and impaired drivers off our roadways before they injure or kill other motorists and their passengers, and to remind everyone to make responsible driving decisions when celebrating. We want everyone to have a happy holiday – but we also want you to have a safe one.”
The STOP- DWI program was created to help empower local efforts to reduce alcohol and other drug-related traffic crashes. STOP-DWI is the nation’s first self-sustaining impaired driving program. The program is paid for by fines paid by convicted impaired drivers.
All 62 counties in New York state have agreed to participate.
