BUFFALO, N.Y. — As we approach Halloween many people may be starting to celebrate early due to the actual holiday being on a weekday.
The NYS Police will be conducting both impaired driving, and underage drinking initiatives over the holiday weekends.
The period of enforcement will be happening starting on Friday, October 27 through Wednesday, November 1. The initiative is funded by the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee.
New York State Police Acting Superintendent Dominick L. Chiumento said, “Halloween can be great family fun, but it can also be deadly when someone makes the wrong decision to drink and drive. Troopers will be highly visible throughout the Halloween weekend looking for impaired and reckless drivers. Drivers should exercise extreme caution, especially on the local roads, as children and their parents will be out enjoying the weekend festivities. Our message is simple: Drive responsibility, never drink and drive.”
There will be a number of sobriety checkpoints, and additional DWI patrols out for those traveling this weekend.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Halloween is a particularly deadly night due to the high number of impaired drivers on the road.
Between 2015-2019 there were 126 drunk-driving fatalities on Halloween nationwide. These are some reminders for those who may be out and about the weekend leading up to Halloween night
- Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride sharing service to get home safely.
- Use your community’s sober ride program
- If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact law enforcement
- Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.
Last year’s initiative had 1,006 accidents, which included 109 personal injury crashes and three fatalities. Troopers also arrested 189 people for DWI and issued a total of 11,601 tickets.
People can also utilize Uber for safe rides over the holiday weekend.
To learn more visit www.nyspnews.com