Police to crack down on impaired driving during Labor Day weekend

New York State Police will increase patrols to combat drunk, impaired and reckless driving throughout this Labor Day weekend.

The special enforcement period begins Friday and runs through Monday. During this time, drivers can expect to see sobriety checkpoints and increased patrols by State Police and local law enforcement agencies. Troopers will be using both marked State Police vehicles and Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement (CITE) vehicles.

On Labor Day weekend in 2022, troopers arrested 191 people for DWI, issued 9,580 total tickets, and investigated 140 crashes, which resulted in three fatalities, according to a news releae.

This initiative is partially funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC). The GTSC and the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation remind motorists that their “Have a Plan” mobile app is available for Apple, Android and Windows smartphones. The app enables New Yorkers to locate and call a taxi service and program a designated driver list. It also provides information on DWI laws and penalties and a way to even report a suspected impaired drivers.

“Traffic safety is a top priority, and each day troopers work to ensure the well-being of all those who utilize New York’s roadways,” said New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli in a news release. “Our goal during this enforcement is to ensure we can take intoxicated and drug impaired drivers off our roadways before they injure or kill others. Our troopers will remain vigilant to remove reckless drivers from our roads and hold them accountable for their actions.”