State Police will step up DWI enforcement over Super Bowl weekend

Press Release, NY State Police

BATAVIA – The New York State Police will join local law enforcement agencies across the state in an effort to crack down on impaired driving during Super Bowl weekend.

The STOP-DWI campaign will include increased patrols on the roadways and sobriety checkpoints to deter, identify and arrest impaired drivers.

While STOP-DWI efforts across New York have led to significant reductions in the number of drinking and driving fatalities, still too many lives are being lost because of crashes caused by impaired drivers.

During the 2014 campaign, State Police made nearly 100 impaired driving arrests. The campaign will be promoted on variable message boards on highways across the state, including the New York State Thruway, and runs from noon through midnight on Super Bowl Sunday. The enforcement crackdown is funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee.

“We want everyone to enjoy the Super Bowl game and parties, however we would also like to ask them to be responsible, have designated drivers or plans to get home safely,” said Troop A Troop Commander Major Michael Cerretto. “We will be out patrolling the roadways and highways ensuring that they are safe for everyone to use.”

An impaired driving conviction carries a maximum fine of $10,000, up to 7 years in prison and license revocation.

In 2012, there were 10,322 people killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes in the United States – 31 percent of all crash fatalities in the nation.