St. Lawrence County to Participate in Statewide STOP-DWI Holiday Season High Visibility Engagement Campaign
Impaired Driving Crackdown runs December 14, 2022 – January 1, 2023
St. Lawrence County STOP-DWI announced today as part of the New York State STOP-DWI High Visibility Engagement Campaign that law enforcement agencies across the state will be out in force in their efforts to protect everyone from impaired drivers either by alcohol and/or drugs. The funding for this engagement and mobile application was provided by the New York State STOP- DWI Foundation through a grant from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown efforts start on December 14 and will end on January 1, 2023. The holiday season is historically a deadly period for impaired driving.
Impaired driving, whether it is alcohol, prescription medicines or illegal drug use, is a problem in St. Lawrence County and Local, County and State Law Enforcement personnel are trained, prepared and motivated to combat this issue. Whether it is buzzed driving or drugged driving, it is still illegal and poses a danger to the other motorists and innocent victims that many times are affected by the actions of these irresponsible drivers.
- 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 impaired drivers. Approximately one-third of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers (with blood alcohol concentrations [BACs] of .08 of higher). In 2020, there were 11,654 people killed in drunk-driving crashes.
According to NHTSA, take steps to prevent impaired driving:
- If you will be drinking, plan on not driving. Plan your safe ride home before you start the party. Designate a sober driver ahead of time.
- If you drink, do not drive for any reason. Download the free STOP-DWI mobile app: “Have A Plan” which helps you identify your location and call a taxi or friend to pick you up. The “Have A Plan” app operates on iPhone, Android and Windows platforms, and has features such as an ability to preload a list of designated drivers, find a taxi cab via GPS, and a ‘Report DWI’ button that connects users to their local 911 service.
- If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact local law enforcement. Your actions could help save someone’s life.
Give yourself the gift of a designated driver or help others be responsible. If someone you know is impaired, do not let that person get behind the wheel. Before you start drinking, give your keys to someone else or leave them at home, or program the phone number of a friend or local taxi service to your phone. All it takes is a little planning. We wish you and your family and friends a very safe and Happy Holiday season!
To view the original press release, please click here.
