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Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over, New York Police Warn

New York State Police and local law enforcement across the state will participate in the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign to crack down on dangerous drivers during the holiday season.

New York State Police and local police departments will participate in the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign to crack down on dangerous drivers this holiday season.

New York State Police and local police departments will participate in the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign to crack down on dangerous drivers this holiday season.

Photo Credit: File photo

Drivers can expect to see sobriety checkpoints and increased patrols along roads during the campaign.

“State Troopers will be out in force this holiday season to crack down on dangerous drivers,” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo. "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.”

In addition to the DWI checkpoints and patrols, troopers will be watching for distracted drivers, vehicle occupants who are not properly buckled up and drivers violating the “Move Over Law,” which requires motorists to exercise extreme caution when passing emergency vehicles that are stopped in or on the side of the road.

During last year’s crackdown, state police issued more than 49,000 tickets. Of those tickets, more than 17,000 were for speeding, 1,730 were for distracted driving and 697 for the “Move Over Law.” There also were 702 people arrested for DWI and 13 people killed in vehicle crashes.

During the 2013 holidays, 1,180 people nationwide were killed on the road, with almost one-third of the fatalities related to drunken driving. On Christmas Day that year, 23 people were killed by drunk drivers.

The New York State Police, the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offer the following tips to keep roads safer this holiday season:

  • 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.

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