NY State Police to Increase Anti-Drunk Driving Efforts Over Weekend

The New York State Police have announced they will initiate special traffic enforcement efforts during the St. Patrick’s Day weekend. The effort will begin on Friday, March 14, 2013 and run through Monday, March 17, 2013.

Drivers can expect sobriety checkpoints, additional DWI patrols, and underage drinking and sales to minors details during the campaign. State Police will also be ticketing distracted drivers using handheld electronic devices.

During the 2013 St. Patrick’s Day weekend enforcement effort, troopers made 204 arrests for DWI, and issued a total of 9,763 tickets. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 269 people were killed by drunk drivers on St. Patrick’s Day over the years 2007-2011. Every 53 minutes in 2011 a person was killed in a drunk-driving crash in the United States, and most of the drunk drivers involved had blood alcohol concentrations nearly double the legal limit of .08.

The New York State Police and NHTSA offer the following tips:

* Before the festivities begin, plan a way to safely get home at the end of the night.
* Before you start drinking, designate a sober driver and leave your car keys at home.
* If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation so you are sure to get home safely.
* If available, use your community’s sober ride program
* Walking impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Designate a sober friend to walk you home.
* If you see a drunk driver on the road, call local law enforcement. You could save a life.
* And remember, if you know people who are about to drive or ride with someone who is impaired, help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely. If a friend is drunk and wants to drive, intervene and take the keys away if you have to.