Looking to keep travelers safe, state and local law enforcement are cracking down on impaired and reckless driving in a major enforcement effort this holiday season.
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and related holidays are considered Special Enforcement Periods. Funds made available through the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee will enable police departments to step up efforts to stop unsafe driving during these times.
“It’s tragic responding to accidents with major injuries and fatalities, especially during the holidays and worse yet when drunk driving is the cause,” said Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, an emergency responder for more than 40 years. “The law enforcement message is clear: Don’t drink and drive,” he warned, adding that officers are also targeting those driving while impaired on drugs and cannabis.
“Thanksgiving kicks off the busiest travel season of the year, and we want everyone to reach their friends and loved ones safely,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “I thank our troopers and local law enforcement for working on Thanksgiving and throughout the holidays to help keep our roads safe. I urge drivers to stay alert, stay sober, and move over when they see vehicles stopped on the side of the road.”
Suffolk’s Selective Alcohol Fatality Enforcement Team (SAFE-T) will be out in force to take dangerous drivers off the roads. Their primary objective is to arrest drivers who are intoxicated or impaired by drugs, a mission critical to reducing traffic fatalities, county police officials say.
“SAFE-T consists of officers dedicated to enforcement of New York’s Driving While Intoxicated laws,” explained Deputy Commissioner Belinda Alvarez—Groneman. “Removal of intoxicated drivers from our roadways is crucial to reducing traffic fatalities.”
There is also a Suffolk Intensified Traffic Enforcement (SITE) team of officers targeting locations in high-speed corridors where fatalities, crashes, and aggressive drivers are prevalent.
Major increases in traffic volume occur during the holidays, a time of year associated with increased alcohol and drug use. During the 2023 Thanksgiving holiday, for example, law enforcement officers arrested 1,342 drivers for DWI, issued 7,656 speeding tickets, and issued 970 tickets for distracted driving.
State Police Superintendent Steven G. James noted: “A common threat on our roads that we continually fight is impaired and drunk driving. Traffic enforcement is imperative to everyone’s well-being, and the goal of making this holiday a safe one. The State Police proudly joins our law enforcement partners in the ongoing effort to discourage, detect, and apprehend impaired and drunk drivers.”
The State Police will supplement regular patrols statewide through efforts including fixed sobriety checkpoints and utilizing Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement (CITE) patrol vehicles to better spot distracted drivers and those talking or texting on handheld devices. These unmarked vehicles blend in with everyday traffic but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.
The average drinking and driving arrest costs up to $10,000. Arrested drunk and drugged drivers face the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, and dozens of unanticipated expenses from attorney fees, fines, car towing and repairs, and lost time at work.
The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and the New York STOP-DWI Foundation remind motorists that their “Have a Plan” mobile app is available for Apple, Android, and Windows smartphones. The app enables New Yorkers to locate and call a taxi or rideshare service and program a designated driver list. It also provides information on DWI laws and penalties and a way to report a suspected impaired driver.
To help keep traffic moving safely during the holidays, the state also announced that temporary lane closures for road and bridge construction projects on New York highways will be suspended from November 27 to December 2. This aligns with the state’s Drivers First Initiative, which prioritizes the convenience of motorists to minimize traffic congestion and travel delays due to road and bridge work. Some work may continue behind permanent concrete barriers or for emergency repairs.
Regardless of lane closures, drivers must follow the State’s Move Over Law, which was expanded in March to require drivers to slow down and move over for all vehicles stopped along the roadway. In 2024, two Thruway Authority employees were killed, and another was seriously injured in separate incidents while working on the Thruway when vehicles failed to move over. The Authority and the Department of Transportation urge motorists to stay alert while driving, slow down, and move over when they see a vehicle on the side of the road. The lives of employees, roadway workers, and emergency personnel are in their hands.
Text stops, including park-and-ride facilities, rest stops, service areas, and parking areas along state highways, support the effort to reduce distracted driving. All text stops will remain open during the holidays, providing locations where drivers can safely and conveniently use their phones and other mobile devices for calling, texting, navigating and accessing mobile apps. Texting while driving is especially dangerous, as it requires motorists to take their eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, and mind off driving.