Franklin County to Participate in Statewide STOP-DWI Thanksgiving Crackdown Enforcement Effort
Dan McClelland
Franklin County District Attorney Craig Carriero announced this that Franklin County police agencies will participate in a special enforcement effort to crackdown on impaired driving.
This Thanksgiving weekend, millions will hit the roads eager to spend time with family and friends. It’s one of the busiest travel times of the year, and unfortunately Thanksgiving has become one of the deadliest times of the year on America’s roads because “Thanksgiving Eve,” the Wednesday before the holiday, has become one of the year’s biggest drinking days. Whether it’s young people home from college or adults who know they have the next day off from work, Thanksgiving Eve has contributed to a rise in drunk driving deaths around the holidays. More people on the roadways mean the potential for more vehicle crashes. During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in 2015 (6pm on Wednesday, November 25, to 5:59 am on Monday, November 30), there were 301 passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes across the nation. Tragically, 50% of those killed were not buckled up at the time of their fatal crash.
In a combined effort to stop impaired driving, prevent injuries and save lives law enforcement officers across New York State will take to the roads. The statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown efforts start on November 27th and will end on December 1st 2019. New York State Police, County Sheriff and municipal law enforcement agencies across the state will be out in force.
The STOP-DWI Thanksgiving Weekend Crackdown is one of many statewide enforcement initiatives promoted by the New York State STOP-DWI Association with additional funding from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and implemented by the STOP-DWI Foundation. Throughout the remainder of the year the Statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown Campaign will also target the national Holiday Season in December. “We want people to enjoy the holiday but they have to know if you’re going to drink then don’t drive. It is really that simple” said Franklin County STOP-DWI coordinator Craig Collette. “Drinking and driving is 100 percent preventable.”
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 drunk or impaired drivers. Highly visible, highly publicized efforts like the STOP-DWI Crackdown Campaign aim to further reduce the incidence of drunk and impaired driving. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving Weekend!