Cuomo: State police arrest 259 people for impaired driving over St. Patrick’s Day weekend

ALBANY, NY — Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced that State Police issued 13,038 tickets and arrested 259 people for impaired driving during the St. Patrick’s Day weekend impaired driving crackdown. The STOP-DWI initiative started on Friday, March 15 and continued through Monday, March 18, 2019.

“New York has zero tolerance for reckless or impaired driving and St. Patrick’s Day weekend is no excuse to engage in illegal behavior,” Governor Cuomo said. “These results send a message to drivers that we will continue to aggressively enforce the law to keep our highways safe.”

During the 2018 campaign, Troopers issued nearly 12,959 total tickets and arrested 243 motorists for impaired driving.

Acting Superintendent Keith M. Corlett said, “Traffic safety and preventing avoidable tragedies continues to be a top priority for the State Police. Make the smart decision and always make plans for a safe and sober ride home. Together, we can prevent the injuries and deaths associated with impaired driving, and make our roads safer.”

During the special enforcement period, which was funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, the New York State Police increased patrols and conducted sobriety checkpoints to deter, identify and arrest impaired drivers.

State Troopers arrested 259 people for DWI and investigating 594 automobile crashes, including 85 crashes that resulted ininjuries. 

There were no fatalities in crashes during the enforcement period.

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

Speeding             4,514

Distracted Driving 371

Seatbelt violations 374

Move Over Law 188

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 every day traffic but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.

Results of the St. Patrick’s Day Weekend enforcement period by troop:

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation “Have a Plan” mobile app is free and available for Apple, Android 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.