Thousands Of Tickets Issued During Holiday Enforcement Period In HV

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Thousands of traffic tickets were issued in the Hudson Valley during a DWI crackdown over the holidays.

New York took part in a nationwide DWI crackdown that began Dec. 14 and ended Jan. 1.

During that time, troopers across the state arrested 453 people for driving while intoxicated and investigated 4,417 crashes, which resulted in 528 people injured and eight deaths.

Gov. Kathy Hochul thanked the state police and local law enforcement for their continued efforts to get dangerous drivers off the roads and protect all New Yorkers.

"We will not stand for the preventable tragedies that are caused by impaired and reckless drivers,” she said, “and we will continue our aggressive enforcement measures to make the roads safe for all who use them."

The Hudson Valley — the areas served by the state police Troops K and F — had the largest number of tickets issued: 7,260.

The lower Hudson Valley (Troop K) had 4,122, and the upper Hudson Valley (Troop F) had 3,138.

Police arrested 163 people in the Hudson Valley for DWI and issued 3,182 speeding tickets. They also issued 248 tickets for distracted driving and 216 for seatbelt violations.

On the state Thruway, which is Troop T, a total of 4,805 tickets were issued, including 1,916 speeding tickets and 36 arrests for DWI.

Over the nearly three-week period, state police used sobriety checkpoints and DWI patrols to crack down on drunken driving. They used both marked and unmarked cars to crackdown on drivers breaking the law.

Acting Police Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli said one of the mission priorities of the New York State Police is to improve highway safety by focusing on reducing drunk and impaired driving crashes.

"Through our recent enforcement efforts, as well the work Troopers do on a daily basis, we have made our roadways safer for the public,” he said.

Nigrelli said the state police urge motorists to make safety their top priority as well to help reduce these crashes.

“Our message is simple: Don't drink and drive,” he said. “By being proactive, we can reduce the number of motor vehicle accidents caused by drunk and impaired driving."