Holiday DWI Crackdown Continues in the Hudson Valley

By ALFRED BRANCH (Patch Staff)

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

It runs 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. 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.”

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.