St. Lawrence County police agencies cracking down on drivers over Thanksgiving

St. Lawrence County police agencies will participate in a special Thanksgiving Weekend High Visibility Engagement Campaign on impaired driving.  The STOP-DWI Thanksgiving Weekend Campaign is one of many statewide enforcement initiatives promoted with grant funding from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and implemented by the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation.  

“While we spend Thanksgiving with friends and family giving praise and thanks for our good fortune and blessings, law enforcement officers across New York State will take to the roads in an effort to stop impaired driving, prevent injuries and save lives. The statewide STOP-DWI Campaign efforts start on November 23rd through the 27th,” said Michele James, St. Lawrence County STOP-DWI Program. 

While STOP-DWI efforts across New York have led to significant reductions in the number of alcohol and drug related fatalities, still too many lives are being lost because of crashes caused by impaired drivers. Nationally in 2020, 185 people died in alcohol-impaired crashes during the Thanksgiving holiday period (6 p.m. Wednesday, November 25 through 5:59 a.m. Monday, November 30). From 2016-2020, 821 people died in alcohol-impaired crashes during the entire Thanksgiving holiday period. Impaired driving is completely preventable. All it takes is a little planning. 

People wrongly think they can calculate their own BAC based on the number of drinks they’ve had or the length of time between drinks. There’s no easy formula that applies to everyone equally. Many variable factors (e.g., body weight, alcohol content, and amount of food eaten before drinking) contribute to a person’s BAC. You’re only “okay to drive” if you haven’t been drinking or using drugs before getting behind the wheel.  

If you are impaired, there are always safe ways to get home—do not drive. You can call a taxi, phone a sober friend, use driving services, or call a family member to get you home safely.