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Starting Friday, Oct. 27, and lasting through Tuesday, Oct. 31, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that both state and local law enforcement will be on patrol in an attempt to crack down on impaired driving.
Anyone driving during the crackdown can expect sobriety checkpoints, Hochul said.
In addition to watching out for those driving under the influence, police will be keeping an eye out for anyone using electronic devices behind the wheel.
Troopers will also be using both marked and unmarked vehicles as part of the beefed-up DWI patrols.
“If you can take the time to plan out your Halloween costume, you can take the time to make a plan to get yourself home safely after a Halloween celebration,” said Mark J.F. Schroeder, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner and Chair of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Halloween is a particularly frightening time for impaired-driving accidents: Between 2015 and 2019, there were 126 drunk-driving fatalities on Halloween night nationwide.
On Halloween night 2019, four pedestrians were killed in drunk-driving crashes, meaning that children out trick-or-treating and the adults accompanying them are also at risk.
Hochul also reported that during the crackdown initiative in 2022, 1,006 accidents occurred, with 109 of those being personal injury crashes and three fatalities.
11,601 tickets were issued during last year’s crackdown.
“Our message is simple: Drive responsibility, never drink and drive,” said New York State Police Acting Superintendent Dominick L. Chiumento.
The NHTSA advises those out celebrating the holiday to remember to designate a sober driver, use a ride-share app, and take away the keys of friends who plan to drink and drive.
Additionally, if you see a drunk driver on the road, motorists are encouraged to report them to police.
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