NEW YORK STATE - The New York State Police issued a total of 47,711 tickets over the Christmas and New Year’s holiday, as part of the “Drive High Get a DUI” national campaign.

The initiative, which targeted impaired and reckless drivers, began on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, and ended Thursday, January 1, 2026.

NY State Police arrested 767 people for DWI and investigated  6,244 accidents, including 13 fatal accidents.

Throughout the enforcement, State Police utilized sobriety checkpoints, additional DWI patrols, and ticketed distracted drivers who used handheld electronic devices.  Troopers also used both marked State Police vehicles and Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement (CITE) vehicles as part of this crackdown in order to more easily identify motorists who were violating the law. These vehicles blend in with everyday traffic but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.  
As part of the enforcement, troopers also targeted speeding and aggressive drivers across the state. Below is a sampling of the total tickets that were issued.

Speeding:14,460.

Distracted Driving: 1,810.

Seatbelt violations: 1,600.

Move Over Law: 828.

During last year’s National DWI Crackdown, the State Police issued 45,770 total tickets and arrested 755 people for DWI.

State Police remind motorists that holiday enforcement campaigns are conducted to save lives and prevent tragedies on New York’s roadways. Increased traffic, celebrations, and winter driving conditions during the holiday season significantly raise the risk of serious crashes. Drivers are urged to plan ahead, designate a sober driver, use seat belts and child restraints, obey speed limits, move over for emergency and roadside vehicles, and avoid distractions. A safe decision behind the wheel can prevent a life-altering crash and ensure everyone makes it home safely.

Troop C, which covers the Southern Tier and Chenango County, issued 3,579 total tickets, including 49 DWI arrests and more than 1,000 speeding violations.

The New York State Thruway recorded the highest number of total tickets, with 7,709 issued, including 102 DWI arrests, 3,067 speeding tickets, 497 distracted driving violations, 339 seat belt and child restraint violations, and 265 Move Over Law violations.

Troop K, covering the Eastern Hudson Valley, followed with 5,333 total tickets, while Troop F in the Western Hudson Valley issued 4,798 tickets and recorded the highest number of DWI arrests among regional troops at 141.

In Central New York, Troop D issued 4,408 tickets, including 64 DWI arrests.

Other regions also reported significant enforcement activity, with Troop E in the Finger Lakes issuing 4,515 tickets and Troop G in the Capital Region issuing 4,111.

Long Island and New York City recorded lower overall totals, with 3,379 and 2,058 tickets issued respectively, though enforcement efforts remained focused on speeding, distracted driving, and occupant safety violations statewide.

- Information from the NY State Police