Dutchess County Law Enforcement Out in Full Force This Weekend

Law enforcement agencies across Dutchess County plan to "target those who put lives in danger" this weekend.

This weekend the Hudson Valley and most of New York will be home to numerous celebrations as we all prepare to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. If your holiday plans include drinking adult beverages law enforcement agencies in Dutchess County want you to know that they will be out in full force to crack down on impaired driving.

New York State STOP-DWI St. Patrick’s Day Weekend Crackdown

Dutchess County has announced that numerous law enforcement agencies throughout the county will be participating in a special enforcement effort to crack down on impaired driving during St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

The statewide STOP-DWI St. Patrick’s Day weekend crackdown will begin on Friday, March 15th, and conclude on Sunday, March 17th and target those who put lives in danger across New York.

The high-visibility impaired driving campaign in New York will feature various municipal law enforcement agencies across the state that will come together in this coordinated effort to make our roads safer and hopefully save lives. High-visibility community engagement campaigns like this have shown that they can reduce impaired driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent according to a Dutchess County press release.

Sobriety Checkpoints

If you plan to drive during the statewide high-visibility impaired driving campaign expect to come across sobriety checkpoints in various parts of Dutchess County. Sobriety checkpoints play a key part in raising awareness about the problem and although they may take some time to drive through research shows that they do work so if you come across one this weekend please exercise patience.

STOP-DWI in New York

Campaigns similar to the St. Patrick's Day crackdown are also promoted by the New York State STOP-DWI Association around Super Bowl Sunday, Memorial Day Weekend, July 4th, Labor Day Weekend, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the holiday season in December. Campaigns like this have led to "significant reductions in the numbers of alcohol and drug-related fatalities" but unfortunately there are still too many lives lost due to drunk or impaired driving.

SEE ALSO: Poughkeepsie is Now 3rd 'Slowest' When it Comes to This

If you plan to drink make sure you know exactly how you plan to get yourself home safely. If you need assistance making a plan the New York State Governors Traffic Safety Committee and the NYS STOP-DWI Foundation have released a "Have A Plan" mobile app.

Get our free mobile app

The app will give users timely and convenient resources that will not only help them find a ride home but it will also provide important information about blood alcohol content levels, DWI laws, and penalties.