WATERTOWN — State police are set to extend patrols to crack down on consuming and drugged driving over the Fourth of July vacation weekend.
The crack-down marketing campaign will run from Friday by means of Monday. Troopers might be utilizing each marked state police autos and hid id site visitors enforcement, or CITE, autos as a part of the operation. The CITE autos permit troopers to extra simply establish motorists who’re utilizing handheld units whereas driving. These autos mix in with on a regular basis site visitors however are unmistakable as emergency autos as soon as the emergency lighting is activated.
Final yr, state police issued practically 9,214 car and site visitors tickets throughout the Fourth of July weekend. Troopers arrested 180 folks for DWI, in addition to investigated 456 crashes and one fatality. The typical consuming and driving arrest prices as much as $10,000.
Arrested drunk and drugged drivers face the lack of their driver’s license, larger insurance coverage charges and dozens of unanticipated bills from legal professional charges, fines and courtroom prices, automobile towing and repairs, in addition to misplaced time at work.
Throughout this enforcement interval, drivers can count on plenty of sobriety checkpoints and DWI patrols. Regulation enforcement can even be in search of motorists who’re utilizing their telephones and different digital units whereas behind the wheel. Drivers also needs to keep in mind to “transfer over” for stopped emergency and hazard autos stopped on the facet of the highway once they journey New York state roadways.
The Fourth of July initiative is partially funded by the governor’s Site visitors Security Committee. The GTSC and the New York state STOP-DWI Basis remind motorists that their “Have a Plan” cellular app is on the market for Apple, Droid and Home windows smartphones. The app allows New Yorkers to find and name a taxi or rideshare service and program a delegated driver listing. It additionally gives data on DWI legal guidelines and penalties and gives a method to report a suspected impaired driver.
“Troopers might be out in power and extremely seen this weekend, looking out for impaired, drugged, and reckless drivers,” New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen mentioned in an announcement. “Our message is easy: In the event you drink and drive, you can be arrested. Keep protected and don’t make a foul choice that prices your life or the lifetime of another person.”