Don’t Be a Turkey! Extra Police Patrolling New York Roads for Holidays

Don't be a turkey behind the wheel. Police will be out in full force on New York roads for the Thanksgiving holiday. Some you may not even see until it's too late.

State Police and local law enforcement will be taking part in a special traffic safety initiative to prevent unsafe driving as thousands of people hit the road for Thanksgiving.

Alcohol Consumption Increases

Traffic isn't the only thing that increases during the holidays. Alcohol consumption is up too. The New York State Police will have dedicated impaired driving patrols and sobriety checkpoints to help keep drunk drivers off the roads.

“Every year there are preventable tragedies and a wake of victims left behind because of the decisions made by reckless and impaired drivers. As we drive throughout the state to see our family and friends this holiday season, we need to make safe driving imperative," said New York State Police Acting Superintendent Dominick L. Chiumento.

Costly DWI Arrests

Driving under the influence puts the driver's life and the lives of others at risk and could result in arrest, jail time, and substantial fines. The average drinking and driving arrest costs up to $10,000.

New York State Troopers arrested 213 drivers for DWI and issued 4,757 speeding tickets, and 425 tickets for distracted driving during the Thanksgiving holiday in 2022.

Unmarked Cars

You may not see most of the patrols on the roads. Unmarked vehicles will blend in with traffic to catch distracted drivers, speeders, or anyone else breaking the law behind the wheel.

The special traffic safety initiative runs from Wednesday, November 22, through Sunday, November 26.

The good news is, that temporary lane closures for construction will be suspended through the Thanksgiving holiday.