Governor Kathy Hochul today announced law enforcement agencies throughout the State issued 55,661 tickets for various vehicle and traffic law violations, including 1,224 tickets for impaired driving, during a statewide mobilization targeting impaired drivers before, during and after St. Patrick’s Day. The enforcement period ran from March 10-17.
“Public safety is my number one priority, and alongside our partners in law enforcement, we’re cracking down on dangerous and illegal driving that puts our communities at risk,” Governor Hochul said. “I’ll always stand up to protect the people of New York, and I encourage everyone to drive responsibly over holidays, celebrations and beyond.”
During the campaign, State and local law enforcement officers utilized sobriety checkpoints and increased patrols to deter, identify and arrest impaired drivers. The statewide initiative was funded by the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC).
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder said, “This is one of several holidays where we know there is a higher likelihood of individuals driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. By conducting these annual mobilizations, we strengthen the ability of law enforcement to protect everyone on our roads during those periods.”
New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “I applaud the tremendous work put forth by our State Police members and law enforcement partners that have attributed to the success of this initiative. The New York State Police will steadily continue to intercept drunk and impaired drivers throughout New York State. I thank our partners at the Department of Motor Vehicles for helping to keep New York’s roads among the safest in the nation.”
As part of the enforcement, law enforcement officers also targeted speeding and aggressive drivers across the state. Below is a breakdown of the total tickets that were issued.
|
Violation |
Number of Tickets |
|
Impaired Driving |
1,224 |
|
Distracted Driving |
2,351 |
|
Move Over |
364 |
|
Speeding |
10,314 |
|
Seatbelt |
1,428 |
|
Other Violations |
39,980 |
|
Grand Total |
55,661 |
Chautauqua County Sheriff and President of the NYS Sheriffs’ Association James Quattrone said, “Hopefully everyone had a great St. Patrick’s Day weekend. Most people enjoyed their time responsibly. Some people didn’t by driving impaired or aggressively. Many of these dangerous drivers were ticketed by law enforcement to keep the roads safe for all users. As we welcome the arrival of spring the Sheriffs of New York State ask you to please be courteous behind the wheel and have a plan to not drive impaired.”
The St. Patrick’s Day impaired driving enforcement campaign is one of the several coordinated initiatives sponsored by the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) to reduce alcohol and other drug-related traffic crashes. These targeted mobilizations provide resources to law enforcement statewide to target underage drinking and increase DWI patrols and sobriety check points during the campaign period. Other impaired driving campaigns occur around Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and periods of time from August to September and December to January.
New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the state’s toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369).
Available addiction treatment including crisis/detox, inpatient, community residence, or outpatient care can be found using the NYS OASAS Treatment Availability Dashboard at FindAddictionTreatment.ny.gov or through the NYS OASAS website.
For more information about GTSC, visit https://trafficsafety.ny.gov/, or follow the GTSC conversation on Facebook and X.