Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee Announces Results of Increased Efforts to Deter Impaired Driving

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) today announced law enforcement agencies throughout the state issued 41,876 tickets for various vehicle and traffic law violations, including 1,358 tickets for impaired driving and 1,779 tickets for distracted driving, during a statewide mobilization between April 13 and 20. The enforcement campaign is just one of several initiatives GTSC funds to prevent traffic deaths and injuries on New York’s roads.

“One of our highest priorities is to save lives and keep everyone safe on our roadways,” said Acting New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Christian Jackstadt. “That would not be possible without the tireless efforts of our law enforcement partners to remove unsafe drivers from the roads and help us move closer to our shared goal of eliminating crashes and injuries.”

GTSC supports the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) and Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement  (ARIDE) programs. DREs receive extensive training, approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration  and the International Association of Chiefs of Police,  to observe and document signs and indicators of impairment within each of seven drug categories, including illicit and prescription drugs. ARIDE training provides law enforcement with additional skills to observe, identify and report signs of impairment related to drugs and alcohol.

New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “We ask all motorists to partner with law enforcement and make safety a top priority whenever they get behind the wheel. Impaired driving is a choice, a poor choice that results in numerous tragedies each year. We will continuously work with our partners at the Department of Motor Vehicles and police agencies across the state to curb the act of impaired driving.”

Juan Figueroa, Ulster County Sheriff and President of the NYS Sheriffs’ Association said, “Some substances, regardless of whether they are legal, illegal, prescription, recreational, or over the-counter can lead to impairment and affect one’s ability to drive. Some drivers got behind the wheel recently after using some of these substances placing other road users in danger. Law enforcement arrested and ticketed many of these individuals. The Sheriffs of New York State want everyone to be safe on the roads and not drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.”

New York State Association of Chiefs of Police President and Mount Pleasant Police Department Chief Paul Oliva said, “While the majority of motorists drive safely since the legalization of marijuana, there are those who still continue to make poor choices and operate their vehicles while impaired by cannabis or other drugs. This has resulted in many being ticketed or arrested during the most recent enforcement initiative. Local law enforcement agencies will continue to monitor our highways to identify impaired drivers and enforce the laws of New York State.”

As part of the enforcement, law enforcement officers also targeted impaired driving, speeding and aggressive drivers across the state. Below is a breakdown of the total tickets that were issued during the mobilization campaign.  

This impaired driving enforcement campaign is one of the several coordinated initiatives sponsored by GTSC  to reduce alcohol and other drug-related traffic crashes. These targeted mobilizations provide resources to law enforcement statewide to target underage drinking and increase DWI patrols and sobriety check points during the campaign period. Other impaired driving campaigns occur around St. Patrick’s Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and periods of time from August to September and December to January.

For more information about GTSC, visit their website or follow them on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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