Tuesday, June 4, 2024

Governor Hochul Announces State Police Arrest 225 People for DWI Over Memorial Day Weekend

DWI Sobriety Checkpoint Sign

Troopers Issue Nearly 11,000 Tickets During Campaign To Combat Drunk and Impaired Driving Over Memorial Day Weekend

Builds on Governor’s Commitment to Keeping New Yorkers Safe on Roadways 


Governor Kathy Hochul announced that State Police issued 10,949 tickets and arrested 225 people for DWI on Memorial Day weekend. The special enforcement period began on Friday, May 24, 2024, and ran through Monday, May 27, 2024. The Governor’s heightened enforcement efforts are part of a larger commitment to protecting drivers, pedestrians and roadway workers.

“New York State has zero tolerance for drunk and impaired driving, and we are doing everything in our power to prevent the senseless tragedies that result from it,” Governor Hochul said. “Public safety is my number one priority, and we will continue to aggressively enforce our driving laws so that New Yorkers are protected.”

New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “The results of this year’s campaign show that too many people are still getting behind the wheel while intoxicated or impaired by drugs. This behavior will not be tolerated, and our Troopers will remain vigilant in the removal of these reckless individuals from our roadways. I thank Governor Hochul for her unwavering support in keeping New York’s roadways safe for all who travel them.”

During the campaign, which was partially funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, State Police utilized sobriety checkpoints, additional DWI patrols, and ticketed distracted drivers who used handheld electronic devices.

Troopers arrested 225 people for DWI and investigated 239 crashes, including 58 personal injury crashes. No fatal crashes were reported.

As part of the enforcement, Troopers also targeted speeding and aggressive drivers across the state. Below is a sampling of the total tickets that were issued:

Speeding: 3,076
Distracted Driving: 356
Seatbelt Violations: 1,663
Move Over Law: 106

Troopers used 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.

During last year’s Memorial Day Weekend enforcement campaign, which ran from Friday, May 26, 2023, through Tuesday, May 30, 2023, the State Police issued 13,471 total tickets and arrested 219 people for DWI.

Below is a breakdown of violations by troop:

Region 

Speed 

DWI Arrests 
(Number of persons) 

Distracted Driving 

Child Restraint/Seat Belt 

Move Over 

Total Tickets 
(includes other violations) 

Western NY 

222 

10 

11 

121 

5 

795 

North Country 

343 

11 

15 

85 

39 

1,068 

Southern Tier 

192 

11 

17 

234 

7 

770 

Central NY 

246 

21 

31 

241 

4 

1,196 

Finger Lakes 

333 

20 

38 

117 

16 

1,174 

Upper Hudson Valley 

346 

39 

31 

236 

8 

1,220 

Capital Region 

221 

20 

56 

178 

1 

906 

Lower Hudson Valley 

351 

47 

36 

116 

4 

1,030 

Long Island 

171 

24 

38 

19 

6 

651 

New York City 

88 

3 

15 

30 

2 

579 

NYS Thruway 

563 

19 

68 

286 

23 

1,573 

New York City does not include NYPD issued violations.

No comments:

Post a Comment