DWI Crackdown For St. Patrick's Day Weekend In The Hudson Valley

New York State Police and local law enforcement will conduct special enforcement efforts designed to deter drinking and driving in the Hudson Valley and across the state during St. Patrick's Day weekend. The traffic enforcement detail begins Friday and runs through Sunday.

St. Patrick's Day is one of the deadliest holidays due to the number of drunk drivers on the road. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, The St. Patrick's Day holiday period from 2012 to 2016 saw the loss of 269 lives due to drunk-driving crashes.

In 2016 alone, 60 people, 39 percent of all crash fatalities, were killed in drunk-driving crashes over the St. Patrick's Day holiday period. Between midnight and 5:59 a.m. March 18, 2016, 69 percent of crash fatalities nationwide involved a drunk driver.

So in the Hudson Valley, expect a number of sobriety checkpoints, additional DWI patrols, and stings targeting underage drinking and illegal sales of alcohol to minors during the campaign. State Police will also be ticketing distracted drivers who use handheld electronic devices.

"If your St. Patrick's Day weekend will involve drinking alcohol, please make the responsible decision and have a designated driver to ensure a safe trip home," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in announcing the initiative. "A day of celebrating can quickly turn into devastation because of bad decisions, and state and local law enforcement will be out in full force to keep our roadways safe."

During the 2017 St. Patrick's Day weekend enforcement effort in New York, troopers made 229 arrests for DWI and issued nearly 15,000 tickets. In addition, local law enforcement agencies, encompassing 32 counties and 124 agencies participated in the 2017 St. Patrick's Day crackdown, which resulted in 65 DWI/DWAI arrests, 3 DWAI-Drug only arrests, 76 other arrests, and 972 vehicle and traffic summonses.

Drunk driving kills more than 10,000 people each year in our country. One person every 53 minutes dies of an alcohol related crash and every one of those deaths is preventable.

Choosing to drive drunk can ruin or end your or someone else's life. This St. Patrick's Day, if you drink and drive, you face jail time, the loss of your license, a higher insurance rate, and dozens of unanticipated expenses. An impaired driving charge carries a maximum fine of $10,000.

The New York State Police, Governor's Traffic Safety Committee and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ask you to commit to following these easy steps so you can enjoy a safe holiday without jeopardizing lives on the road.

• Before the festivities begin, plan a way to safely get home at the end of the night—designate a sober driver and leave your car keys at home.
• If you're impaired, use a taxi or ridesharing service, 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.

The Governor's Traffic Safety Committee and the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation "Have a Plan" mobile app is free and 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 driver.

"St. Patrick's Day is a great day to celebrate. Don't make it a bad day by driving while impaired," Terri Egan, Executive Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and Acting Chair of the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, said, "You can download the Have a Plan app to help you decide in advance how you and your friends will get safely home, whether by designating a driver or calling a taxi or a ride share. It enables you to review the consequences of impaired driving and to report a drunk or drugged driver."

PHOTO/ Renee Schiavone