Dutchess County to Participate in Statewide STOP-DWI
Labor Day Crackdown Enforcement Effort
Impaired Driving Crackdown runs Aug. 19 through Sept. 5
Poughkeepsie… Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro announced today police agencies around Dutchess County will participate in a special enforcement effort to crack down on impaired driving. The statewide STOP-DWI crackdown effort starts Aug. 19 and will end Sept. 5.
New York State Police, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office and municipal law enforcement agencies across the state will be out in force. Research shows high-visibility enforcement can reduce impaired driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent. Sobriety checkpoints play a key part in raising awareness about the problem.
County Executive Molinaro said, “With Labor Day marking the unofficial end of our summer season, we acknowledge and applaud the efforts of law enforcement to keep our roads safe for all. The STOP-DWI crackdown campaign enhances our efforts to eliminate preventable injuries and deaths.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), during the 2014 Labor Day holiday period, 83 percent of drunk-driving crash fatalities occurred between 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m. Among the drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 who were killed in crashes over the Labor Day holiday period in 2014, 51 percent of those fatalities involved a drunk driver with a blood-alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or higher.
The STOP-DWI Labor Day weekend crackdown is one of many statewide enforcement initiatives promoted by the New York State STOP-DWI Association, with additional funding from the STOP-DWI Foundation and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. Throughout the remainder of the year the Statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown Campaign will also target Halloween and the national holiday season in December.
Dutchess County STOP-DWI Coordinator William C. Johnson said, “The focus is clear: These coordinated, multi-agency enforcement efforts are aimed at reducing the numbers of impaired drivers on the roads. We hope to reverse current trends by raising public awareness and making drivers think twice before getting behind the wheel impaired.”
While STOP-DWI efforts across New York have led to significant reductions in the numbers of alcohol- and drug-related fatalities, still too many lives are being lost because of crashes caused by drunk or impaired drivers. Highly visible, highly publicized efforts like the STOP-DWI crackdown campaign aim to further reduce the incidence of drunk and impaired driving.
