NEW YORK (WWTI) – New York State Police and law enforcement agencies statewide will be ramping up enforcement of impaired driving beginning August 19.

The STOP-DWI “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign is designed to reduce alcohol and other drug-related traffic crashes. The campaign lasts through September 7.

Fatal crashes involving an impaired driver have decreased over 19 percent from 2010 to 2019, according to preliminary data from the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research at the University at Albany’s Rockefeller College.

Variable Message Signs will alert motorists to the consequences of impaired driving during the campaign. During the 2019 enforcement campaign, law enforcement throughout the state issued 4,995 tickets for impaired driving and 170,378 tickets for other vehicle and traffic law violations.

The “Have a Plan” mobile app gives New Yorkers a way to find and call a taxi or rideshare service and program a list of designated drivers, along with the ability to report a suspected impaired driver.

“There is no excuse for driving impaired – it’s reckless and puts not only yourself but everyone else on the road in danger,” Governor Cuomo said. “We have zero tolerance for this irresponsible behavior and we’re stepping up patrols to send a clear message: If you drink and drive, you will be caught and you will be held accountable.”