Tuesday, October 27, 2026 | St. Lawrence County, NY
St. Lawrence County motorists can expect increased police patrols and sobriety checkpoints through Halloween as state and local law enforcement target impaired, distracted and reckless driving.
…
This item is available in full to subscribers.
To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a digital subscriber with an active, online-only subscription then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
St. Lawrence County motorists can expect increased police patrols and sobriety checkpoints through Halloween as state and local law enforcement target impaired, distracted and reckless driving.
The enforcement campaign, funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, runs through Saturday, Oct. 31.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said officers will focus on drivers who are impaired, distracted or speeding.
“We’ve made it clear we have no tolerance for those who drive impaired, drive distracted or speed,” Hochul said. “The New York State Police and our local law enforcement officers will be out in force looking for anyone who hasn’t gotten the message.”
During last year’s Halloween enforcement campaign, police issued 44,545 citations statewide, including 1,210 for impaired driving and 8,701 for speeding.
The initiative is part of a series of targeted enforcement campaigns held throughout the year to reduce alcohol- and drug-related crashes. Efforts include increased driving while intoxicated patrols, sobriety checkpoints and enforcement of underage drinking laws.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 201 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes on Halloween night from 2019 through 2024 in crashes involving at least one driver with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.01 or higher. Of those, 176 people died in crashes involving a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher, the legal threshold for impaired driving for most adult drivers.
Pedestrians also face increased risks on Halloween. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, based on 42 years of federal traffic data, found the risk of pedestrian fatalities was 43% higher on Halloween than on other nights. Children ages 4 to 8 were 10 times more likely to be struck by a vehicle on Halloween than on other evenings, the study found.
Motorists are urged to avoid driving while impaired, stay focused behind the wheel and obey speed limits, particularly in residential areas where children may be trick-or-treating.
Drivers who need a ride home after Halloween celebrations can use the “Have a Plan” mobile app, available for Apple and Android devices through the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation.
