ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — New York State Police say they will increase patrols in order to combat drunk, impaired, and reckless driving throughout the Memorial Day weekend.
Troopers say the enforcement period will begin on Friday and run through May 30. NYSP says that Memorial Day is one of the busiest holidays of the year for traveling, and police will be out in force to remove impaired and reckless drivers from the highways.
NYSP says drivers can expect to see sobriety checkpoints and increased patrols by State Police and local law enforcement during this holiday weekend. Troopers will use marked State Police vehicles, as well as Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement vehicles. They add this will help easily identify motorists who are violating the law, since the vehicles blend in with everyday traffic.
The Institiute of Traffic Safety Management and Research at the University of Albany says 237 people were killed and 4,394 were injured in drunk-driving related crashes in 2022. They add that 237 people were killed in drug-related crashes.
The New York State STOP-DWI Foundation says the “Have a Plan” mobile app is available for Apple, Android, and Windows smartphones. The app lets New Yorkers locate and call a taxi service, as well as program a designated driver list.
Troopers add that in Memorial Day weekend in 2022, troopers arrested 213 people for driving while impaired, issued 13,688 total tickets, and investigated 808 crashes. They add the crashes resulted in four fatalities.