State Police to Crack Down on DWI During Super Bowl

The New York State Police and local law enforcement agencies statewide will crack down on impaired driving during Super Bowl weekend from Saturday, February 6 until midnight, February 8.

The STOP-DWI campaign will include underage drinking enforcement, along with increased patrols and sobriety checkpoints to deter, identify, and arrest impaired drivers.

The campaign will be promoted on various message boards on highways across the state, including the New York State Thruway. The enforcement initiative is funded by the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee.

State Police Superintendent Joseph A. D’Amico said, “Make the winning decision on Super Bowl weekend and don’t get behind the wheel if you’ve been drinking. Driving while impaired can result in tragic consequences for you, your passengers and others on the road.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2014, 9,967 people in the U.S. were killed in crashes involving a driver with a BAC of .08 or higher. An impaired driving conviction carries a maximum fine of $10,000, up to seven years in prison and license revocation.

New York State Police recommend the following if you are hosting a Super Bowl party.

Designate a responsible driver in advance to help your guests get home safely.
· Ask all of your guests to designate their sober drivers ahead of time, or help them arrange ride-sharing with sober drivers.
· If you don’t drink, offer to drive guests home.
· Serve plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverages at the party.
· Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter—this is a good time to serve coffee and dessert.
· Sign up online for a ride sharing service and keep the phone numbers of local cab companies on hand.
· Remember, if you serve a guest alcohol and he or she gets in a crash that night, you could be held liable.
· If an underage person drinks and drives, the parent or guardian can be legally liable for any damage, injury or death caused by the underage driver.