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State police warn St. Lawrence County drivers ‘stay sober or get pulled over’

Posted 12/17/16

State police and local law enforcement across St Lawrence County say they are implementing a “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign Dec. 16 through Jan. 1. Drivers can expect sobriety …

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State police warn St. Lawrence County drivers ‘stay sober or get pulled over’

Posted

State police and local law enforcement across St Lawrence County say they are implementing a “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign Dec. 16 through Jan. 1.

Drivers can expect sobriety checkpoints and an increased number of troopers patrolling roadways, according to a news release from state police.

During the crackdown campaign, troopers will watch for distracted drivers, vehicle occupants who are not properly buckled up, and drivers violating the “Move Over Law,” which requires motorists to exercise extreme caution when passing emergency vehicles that are stopped in or on the side of the road.

Troopers will use marked state police vehicles and concealed identity traffic enforcement (CITE) vehicles. The CITE vehicles allow troopers to more easily identify motorists who are using handheld devices while driving. These vehicles blend in with every day traffic, but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.

During last year’s crackdown, State Police issued more than 32,000 tickets, including more than 11,000 for speeding, 810 for distracted driving and 348 for the “Move Over Law.” There were also 477 people arrested for DWI and six people killed in crashes.

In addition, 33 counties and 115 local law enforcement agencies participated in the Holiday Season Crackdown last year, resulting in 134 DWI/DWAI arrests, 11 DWAI-Drug only arrests, 99 other arrests and 1,570 vehicle and traffic summonses.

The state police and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say they offer the following tips:

• Plan a safe way home before the celebrating begins;

• Before drinking, designate a sober driver;

• If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation;

• Use your community’s sober ride program;

• If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact local law enforcement; and

• If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to their destination safely.

For more information visit www.safeny.ny.gov.