Troop K to participate in “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” national crackdown

The New York State Police announced today that the New York State Police will participate in the national enforcement initiative to crack down on impaired driving this holiday season.

The New York State Police will participate in the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, from Friday, December 16, 2016 through Sunday, January 1, 2017. Drivers can expect to see sobriety checkpoints, along with more troopers on the roadways during the campaign.

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.

Superintendent George P. Beach II said, “All year our members work to reduce impaired driving crashes and promote traffic safety. Our goal during this campaign is to step up our efforts to ensure we can take intoxicated and drugged drivers off our roadways before they injure or kill other motorists and their passengers. We want everyone to have a happy holiday – but we also want you to have a safe one.”

During the campaign, Troopers will be using both marked State Police vehicles and Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement (CITE) 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 more than 32,000 tickets. Of those tickets more than 11,000 were for speeding, 810 were for distracted driving and 348 for the “Move Over Law”. There were also 477 people arrested for DWI and 6 people killed in crashes.

To keep our roads safer this holiday season, the New York State Police and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offer these tips:

· Plan a safe way home before the celebrating begins;
· Before drinking, designate a sober driver;
· If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation;
· Use your community’s sober ride program;
· If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact local law enforcement;
· If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to their destination safely.