State Police, local law enforcement to crackdown on impaired & reckless driving through Halloween

Law enforcement to increase patrols to prevent impaired & aggressive driving during holiday period

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced State Police and local law enforcement will be out in force through Halloween in order to crack down on impaired and reckless driving. The enforcement period begins Friday, Oct. 27, and runs through Tuesday, Oct. 31. It is funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee.

“Together, we can ensure Halloween festivities stretching through Tuesday are safe and enjoyable by promoting responsible choices and raising awareness about the dangers of impaired driving,” Hochul said. “I thank the New York State Police and our local law enforcement for keeping our children, communities and celebrations safe and fun!”

New York State Police Acting Superintendent Dominick L. Chiumento said, “Halloween can be great family fun, but it can also be deadly when someone makes the wrong decision to drink and drive. 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.”

New York State Department of Motor Vehicles commissioner and chair of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee Mark J.F. Schroeder said, “If you can take the time to plan out your Halloween costume, you can take the time to make a plan to get yourself home safely after a Halloween celebration. Remember that making a choice to drive after you’ve been drinking or if you have consumed cannabis puts not only yourself at risk, but also anyone else you come in contact with at risk – especially children who may be out trick or treating. Also, it’s important to make sure you are extra aware of your surroundings, and not distracted, and to look out for trick or treaters and their parents if you are on the road this weekend.”

Hochul’s team said, “Motorists who are traveling this weekend can expect a number of sobriety checkpoints and additional DWI patrols. Law enforcement will also be looking for motorists who are using their phones and other electronic devices while behind the wheel. Drivers should also remember to ‘move over’ for stopped emergency and hazard vehicles stopped 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 this crackdown in order 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.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 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% 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.

As a reminder for those who plan to head out and celebrate Halloween, NHTSA offers these tips for a safe and happy evening:

√ Remember that it is never OK 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 ridesharing 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.