State Police & local law enforcement to crack down on impaired, reckless driving over Labor Day weekend

National ‘Drunk Driving, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign runs through Labor Day

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced State Police and local law enforcement will be out in force through Labor Day weekend in order to crack down on impaired and reckless driving during Labor Day weekend. The enforcement period begins Friday, Sept. 1, and runs through Monday, Sept. 4.

“Labor Day weekend is a time where individuals are traveling throughout the state, traffic on the roadways are heavier than usual, and accidents can occur,” Hochul said. “We want everyone to have a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend without accidents, serious injuries, and fatalities getting in the way. Please be sure to not drink and drive, and keep your eyes on the road.”

The New York State Police will increase patrols to combat drunk, impaired and reckless driving throughout this Labor Day weekend. 

Hochul’s team said, “Labor Day weekend traditionally results in heavy traffic throughout the state. This increased flow of traffic also brings with it an increase in accidents, serious injuries, and fatalities, and police will be out in force to remove impaired and reckless drivers from our highways.”

New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli said, “Traffic safety is a top priority, and each day troopers work to ensure the well-being of all those who utilize New York’s roadways. Our goal during this enforcement is to ensure we can take intoxicated and drug-impaired drivers off our roadways before they injure or kill others. Our troopers will remain vigilant to remove reckless drivers from our roads and hold them accountable for their actions. I thank the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee for their support in conducting pivotal traffic enforcements such as this.”

The press release added, “Drivers can expect to see sobriety checkpoints and increased patrols by State Police and local law enforcement agencies during this holiday weekend. Troopers will be using both marked State Police vehicles and concealed identity traffic enforcement (CITE) vehicles as part of this crackdown to more easily identify motorists who are violating the law. CITE vehicles allow the trooper to better observe driving violations. These vehicles blend in with everyday traffic, but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.”

This initiative is partially funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. The GTSC and the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation remind motorists that their “Have a Plan” mobile app is available for Apple, Droid 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.

On Labor Day weekend in 2022, troopers arrested 191 people for DWI, issued 9,580 total tickets, and investigated 140 crashes, which resulted in three fatalities.