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With Thanksgiving approaching, police across New York State are increasing patrols to ensure safe travel. Governor Kathy Hochul announced that law enforcement will focus on impaired and reckless drivers from Saturday, November 22nd through Sunday, November 30th. The initiative, funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, also targets violations of the Move Over Law.
During last year's Thanksgiving enforcement period, police arrested 1,705 impaired drivers and issued over 10,000 speeding tickets. According to Governor Hochul, "Those celebrations should not be marred by tragedy caused by impaired or reckless driving on our roadways."
New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James emphasized the importance of driver safety during the holiday season, stating, "Every year, there are preventable tragedies and a wake of victims left behind because of the decisions made by reckless and impaired drivers."
To aid in enforcement, police will use fixed sobriety checkpoints and Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement (CITE) patrol vehicles to identify distracted drivers. Additionally, lane closures for construction projects will be suspended to ease holiday travel from Wednesday, November 26th to Monday, December 1st.
Motorists are encouraged to use the "Have a Plan" mobile app to locate taxis or rideshare services and to report suspected impaired drivers. The app is available for Apple, Android, and Windows smartphones.
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