Dutchess County Participating in Halloween STOP-DWI Crackdown

High-visibility community engagement in effect Oct. 31^st to Nov. 3^rd

Poughkeepsie … Various law enforcement agencies throughout Dutchess County are participating in a special enforcement effort to crack down on impaired driving during Halloween weekend. The STOP-DWI High Visibility Engagement Campaign begins Thursday, Oct. 31 and runs through Sunday, Nov. 3.

With parties, trick-or-treating and other festivities, Halloween night can be especially dangerous on the nation’s roadways. Between 2016 and 2020, for example, there were 129 drunk-driving fatalities nationwide on Halloween night, including 11 pedestrians killed.

Motorists are urged to watch for pedestrians this Halloween — whether they be children trick-or-treating or adults who have had too much to drink. Walking while intoxicated can also be deadly, as lack of attention to their surroundings could put pedestrians at risk of getting hit by a vehicle.

Approximately one-third of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve intoxicated drivers, with blood-alcohol concentrations at or above .08 grams per deciliter. In 2020, for example, there were 11,654 people killed in collisions with intoxicated motorists nationwide. Highly visible, highly publicized efforts like the STOP-DWI High Visibility Engagement Campaign aim to further reduce intoxicated and impaired driving.

The STOP-DWI Halloween High Visibility Engagement Campaign is one of many statewide initiatives promoted by STOP-DWI NY and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. The Statewide STOP-DWI High Visibility Engagement Campaign also targets Super Bowl weekend, St. Patrick’s Day, Memorial Day, the 100 Days of Summer campaign in June through August, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the winter holiday season. STOP-DWI New York urges residents to download its mobile app, “Have a Plan,” which enables drivers to find a safe ride homewww.stopdwi.org/mobileapp.