NEW YORK – The State of New York is about to make a lot of money from tickets for driving violations given over Memorial Day weekend.
According to Governor Andrew Cuomo, 9,214 tickets were issued by New York State Police from May 28 through June 1. It comes as part of a “crackdown” to “combat drunk and impaired driving,” according to a press release from Cuomo.
“Driving while impaired is reckless and irresponsible behavior and it will not be tolerated in this state, period. New Yorkers need to make responsible choices and drive sober or get a ride when you’re unable to safely get behind the wheel. Failing to do so will result in real consequences or needless and avoidable tragedies,” remarked Cuomo.
The number of tickets issued this year are higher than last, when 8,907 were handed out.
“I applaud the New York State Police and all law enforcement across the state for their vigilance and commitment to getting impaired drivers off our roads,” said Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles and Chair of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee Mark J.F. Schroeder. “The reckless decision to drive impaired is not only costly, but often leads to deadly consequences. Avoid tragedies by having a plan to get home safely.”
The campaign utilized sobriety checkpoints and an increased number of DWI patrols. In total, 185 people were arrested statewide for DWI. There were upwards of 850 crashes and two deaths, stated the press release.
“While we have made strides to reduce impaired driving, these results are proof that far too many people are still making the wrong decision and getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol or using drugs,” State Police Acting Superintendent Kevin P. Bruensaid explained. “We have no tolerance for this behavior, and our Troopers will remain vigilant to remove these reckless individuals from our roadways.”
In Western New York specifically, there were 1,823 tickets given over the holiday weekend. 21 people from the region were arrested for DWI as well.
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