Rockland Holiday DWI Checkpoints Announced

By ALFRED BRANCH (Patch Staff)

New York State, county and local law enforcement will again crack down on intoxicated and impaired drivers this holiday season as part of the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.

It begins tomorrow, Dec. 18, and continues through Jan. 1.

Drivers can expect to see sobriety checkpoints and increased patrols along roadways during the campaign, which is funded through the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee.

“State Troopers will be out in force this holiday season to crack down on dangerous drivers,” Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said in his announcement. “New York State has zero tolerance for drunk driving and the preventable tragedies it causes. I encourage all motorists to obey the rules of the road and to think twice before getting behind the wheel this holiday season.”

During last year’s holiday, 13 people were killed in vehicle crashes in New York, and 702 people were arrested for DWI, state officials said.

Nationwide during the previous year’s campaign in the 2013 holiday period, 1,180 people were killed on the road, with almost a third of the fatalities related to drunk-driving, according to officials. On Christmas Day that year, 23 people were killed by drunk drivers.

In addition to the DWI checkpoints and patrols, law enforcement officers also will be watching for distracted drivers (such as those using smartphones or other handheld devices), vehicle occupants who are not properly buckled up and drivers violating the “Move Over Law.” That law requires motorists to exercise extreme caution when passing emergency vehicles that are stopped in or on the side of the road.

To keep roadways safer this holiday season, the New York State Police, the GTSC and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offer these tips:

• Plan a safe way home before the celebrating begins;
• Before drinking, designate a sober driver;
• If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation;
• Use your community’s sober ride program;
• If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact local law enforcement;
• If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to their destination safely.

“Traffic safety will be a top priority this holiday season,” said State Police Superintendent Joseph A. D’Amico. “Troopers will be out on our highways and very visible through New Year’s, with the goal of making everyone’s holiday a safe one. If you’re celebrating, please do so responsibly. Don’t drink and drive, and if you are drinking, designate a sober driver or plan ahead for a ride home. Impaired drivers cause needless deaths and injuries. Have a plan and you could save a life – maybe even your own.”

During this year’s initiative, troopers will be using both marked State Police vehicles and Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement (CITE) vehicles as part of the operation.

“The CITE vehicles allow troopers to more easily identify motorists who are using handheld devices while driving,” officials said. “These vehicles blend in with every day traffic but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.”

State Police issued more than 49,000 tickets during the 2014 holiday crackdown, of which more than 17,000 were for speeding, 1,730 were for distracted driving and 697 for the “Move Over Law.”

Over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend this year, New York state police issued more than 14,000 tickets -- more than in 2014.