State Police Issue Over 47,000 Tickets During Holiday Driving Crackdown

By Y.M. Lowy

New York State Police issued more than 47,000 tickets during the recent holidays as part of a statewide crackdown on impaired and dangerous driving, with 47,711 tickets issued in total, 767 DWI arrests made, and troopers responding to 6,244 crashes, including 13 fatal accidents.

Throughout the crackdown, State Police conducted sobriety checkpoints and increased patrols, focusing on impaired driving, speeding, distracted driving, and other traffic violations. Troopers also used a mix of marked patrol cars and Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement vehicles, which blend into regular traffic but are clearly identifiable once emergency lights are activated.

In addition to DWI enforcement, troopers issued thousands of tickets for other violations, including more than 14,000 for speeding, over 1,800 for distracted driving, and 1,600 for seatbelt violations. Hundreds of drivers were also ticketed for failing to comply with the Move Over Law.

State Police said the effort was aimed at preventing serious crashes during periods of heavier travel during winter road conditions.