New York State is ramping up enforcement and easing construction-related traffic ahead of the busy Independence Day holiday weekend.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced state and local law enforcement agencies will increase patrols statewide to target impaired, reckless and aggressive drivers through Sunday, July 5. The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee funds the annual traffic enforcement campaign.
To help reduce congestion, temporary lane closures for road and bridge construction on state highways will be suspended from 6 a.m. Thursday through 6 a.m. Monday, although some emergency work and projects behind permanent barriers may continue.
Officials say sobriety checkpoints and increased patrols will be used throughout the holiday weekend, one of the busiest travel periods of the summer.
During last year’s July 4 enforcement campaign, law enforcement issued nearly 50,000 tickets, including 1,563 impaired driving charges, 1,926 distracted driving tickets and 612 Move Over Law violations.
State officials are urging motorists to plan ahead if they plan to drink, avoid distracted driving and obey New York’s Move Over Law, which requires drivers to slow down and move over for emergency vehicles and other authorized vehicles stopped along the roadside whenever it is safe to do so.
Travelers can check road conditions before leaving by using the 511NY website or mobile app. The New York State Thruway Authority also said all 27 Thruway service areas will remain open 24 hours a day during the holiday weekend.
