Major Increase in Violations During Holiday Enforcement

Governor Kathy Hochul’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) today announced law enforcement agencies throughout the State issued 50,466 tickets for various vehicle and traffic law violations, including 1,705 tickets for impaired driving, during a statewide mobilization during the busy Thanksgiving travel period. This is a 42 percent increase over the 35,508 violations issued during the 2023 Thanksgiving enforcement campaign.

“The results of this effort are staggering. Far too many people put their lives and the lives of others at risk through the poor choices that can easily be mitigated,” Governor Hochul said. “I want to thank our law enforcement officers for their continued commitment to remove these drivers from our roadways and keep New Yorkers safe.”

Sobriety checkpoints and increased patrols to deter, identify and arrest impaired drivers, were conducted throughout the campaign by State and local law enforcement officers. The statewide initiative is funded, annually, by the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee.

State Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder said, “Through these enforcements we are not trying to deter festivities, but rather encourage responsible celebrations. Planning for a safe ride home, staying alert and building extra time into your schedule to get to your destination, are just a few ways drivers can help protect everyone on our roads. These are simple steps that can truly save lives.”

As part of the enforcement, law enforcement officers also targeted speeding and aggressive drivers across the State. Below is a breakdown of the total tickets that were issued.

Violation	Number of Tickets
Impaired Driving	1,705
Distracted Driving	1,702
Move Over	483
Speeding	10,078
Seatbelt	2,812
Other Violations	33,686
Grand Total	50,466

New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “I commend our Troopers and local law enforcement partners for the work they do each day to keep our roads safe. The results of this campaign exemplify the commitment to detecting and apprehending impaired and reckless drivers. We urge drivers to do their part by making the right choices when they get behind the wheel.”

During the 2023 Thanksgiving holiday period, law enforcement officers arrested 1,342 drivers for DWI, issued 7,656 speeding tickets, and 970 tickets for distracted driving.

NYS Sheriffs’ Association President and Delaware County Sheriff Craig DuMond said, “Hopefully everyone enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. Most people were smart enough to have a plan and not drive impaired. Unfortunately, some people put themselves, their passengers and other road users, in danger by driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Law enforcement ticketed and arrested many of these dangerous drivers. The Sheriffs of New York State hope you enjoyed the long holiday weekend and thank those of you who chose to not drive impaired.”

The Thanksgiving impaired driving enforcement campaign is one of the several coordinated initiatives sponsored by the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (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 checkpoints during the campaign period. Other impaired driving campaigns occur around St. Patrick’s Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Halloween and periods of time from August to September, and December to January.

New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the State’s toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369).

Available addiction treatment including crisis/detox, inpatient, community residence, or outpatient care can be found using the NYS OASAS Treatment Availability Dashboard at  FindAddictionTreatment.ny.gov  or through the  NYS OASAS website.

For more information about GTSC, visit trafficsafety.ny.gov, or follow the GTSC conversation at  Facebook  and  X (formerly known as Twitter).