State Police Issue Over 13,000 Tickets During Thanksgiving Enforcement Across New York State

By Yisroel R.

The New York State Police reported a major enforcement effort over the 2025 Thanksgiving weekend, issuing a total of 13,036 tickets statewide between November 26 and November 30. The annual campaign, funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, focused heavily on impaired driving, speeding, and distracted driving during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

Troopers conducted sobriety checkpoints, increased DWI patrols, and monitored for violations involving handheld devices. Over the five-day period, 247 people were arrested for DWI, and Troopers responded to 1,277 crashes, including two fatalities.

Speeding remained the leading violation with 4,454 tickets issued, followed by 1,108 seatbelt violations and 278 distracted driving citations. Troopers also issued 243 tickets under New York’s Move Over Law.

A breakdown by region shows a significant portion of enforcement activity occurred in Upstate New York. Troop K (Eastern Hudson Valley) led the state in speeding tickets with 748 issued. Troop E (Finger Lakes) recorded the highest overall total with 1,521 tickets. Troop F (Western Hudson Valley), covering Orange County and surrounding counties, issued over 1,000 tickets, including 38 DWI arrests.

Compared to last year’s Thanksgiving enforcement, statewide totals rose slightly from 12,867 tickets issued in 2024.

State Police say the annual initiative is designed to reduce crashes during a holiday period historically marked by heavy travel and heightened risk on the roads.