NYS Police To Crack Down On Halloween Weekend Impaired Driving

NEW YORK — The New York State Police will be out in full force as Halloween approaches to head off potential tragedy and help make sure that the roads are safe.

The New York State Police will be conducting stepped-up impaired driving and underage drinking initiatives during the Halloween weekend. The heightened traffic enforcement period runs from Friday, October 27 through Wednesday, November 1, and is funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee.

"Halloween can be great family fun, but it can also be deadly when someone makes the wrong decision to drink and drive," New York State Police Acting Superintendent Dominick L. Chiumento said. "Troopers will be highly visible throughout the Halloween weekend looking for impaired and reckless drivers. Drivers should exercise extreme caution, especially on the local roads, as children and their parents will be out enjoying the weekend festivities. Our message is simple: Drive responsibility, never drink and drive."

Drivers who are traveling over the weekend can expect to see sobriety checkpoints and additional DWI patrols.

Law enforcement will also be looking for drivers who are using their phones and other electronic devices while behind the wheel. State police officials are also reminding drivers to "move over" for stopped emergency and hazard vehicles on the side of the road.

State police will also be targeting the illegal sale of alcohol to minors through underage drinker enforcement details statewide.

Troopers will be using both marked state police vehicles and "Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement (CITE)" vehicles as part of the crackdown in order to more easily identify drivers who are violating the law. CITE vehicles allow the trooper to better spot driving violations. These vehicles blend in with everyday traffic but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated, according to the NYSP.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found that Halloween is a particularly deadly night due to the high number of impaired drivers on the roads.

Between 2015 and 2019, there were 126 drunk-driving fatalities on Halloween night nationwide. Of those fatalities, 41 percent occurred in crashes where there was at least one drunk driver involved. Children out trick-or-treating, and those who accompany them, are also at risk. During Halloween night 2019, four pedestrians were killed in drunk-driving crashes.

During last year’s initiative, there were 1,006 accidents, which included 109 personal injury crashes and three fatalities. Troopers also arrested 189 people for DWI and issued a total of 11,601 tickets.

The NHTSA offers a few simple tips for a safe and happy evening for everyone:

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride-sharing service to get home safely.
• Use your community’s sober ride program.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact law enforcement.
• Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.