STOP-DWI announces holiday enforcement detail

Press release:

Genesee County STOP-DWI coordinator Matt Landers announced today that the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, City of Batavia Police Department and the Village of Le Roy Police Department will participate in a special enforcement effort to crackdown on impaired driving.

While we spend this Holiday Season celebrating with friends and family and looking forward to the blessings of a New Year, the law enforcement community across New York State will take to the roads in an effort to stop impaired driving, prevent injuries and save lives. The statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown efforts start on Dec. 12th and will end on Jan. 1st. New York State Police, County Sheriffs and municipal law enforcement agencies across the state will be out in force.

Research shows that high-visibility enforcement can reduce drunk-driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent. Sobriety checkpoints play a key part in raising awareness about the problem. Sheriff Gary T. Maha advises that he will have dedicated DWI patrols and Drug Recognition Experts (DRE) out looking for impaired drivers this holiday season and enforcing the DWI laws. “Our goal is to have zero DWI-related accidents over the holidays.”

The STOP-DWI Holiday Season Crackdown is one of many statewide enforcement initiatives promoted by the New York State STOP-DWI Association with additional funding from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and implemented by the STOP-DWI Foundation. In addition, the Foundation has created a new mobile app – “Have A Plan” that is available as a free download for smart phones to help find safe rides home no matter where you may be celebrating. Many thanks to the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee for its support of this new technology. Go to www.stopdwi.org/mobileapp or visit your app store.

While STOP-DWI efforts across New York have led to significant reductions in the numbers of alcohol- and drug-related fatalities, still too many lives are being lost because of crashes caused by drunk or impaired drivers. It is significant to note that nationwide in 2012, during the Holiday period (Dec. 12-31), there were 1,698 motorists killed in traffic crashes with 31 percent attributable to impaired driving. According to NHTSA data, 60 percent of the passenger vehicle occupants killed were not wearing their seat belts and 42 percent were killed in crashes that involved a drunk driver who had a blood alcohol content of .08 BAC or higher. Highly visible, highly publicized efforts like the STOP-DWI Crackdown Campaign aim to further reduce the incidents of drunk and impaired driving. Have a safe and happy Holiday Season!