Holiday DWI Campaign Led To Thousands Of Tickets And Arrests

The recent holiday season was a busy one for the New York State Police.

On January 12, 2026, the New York State Police reported on activity for the period of December 10, 2025, through January 1, 2026.

Drive High, Get A DUI

That period of time was designated as the 'Drive High, Get A DUI' campaign for the 2025 holiday season. During those dates, the New York State Police reported that a total of 47,711 tickets were issued.

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This campaign was designed to target impaired and reckless drivers. Troopers arrested 767 people for DWI and investigated 6,244 accidents, including 13 fatal accidents, throughout the Empire State.

Tactics To Target Violators

State Police notes that they utilized sobriety checkpoints, along with additional DWI patrols, ticketing distracted drivers who used handheld electronic devices, while also targeting speeders and aggressive drivers. Both marked and unmarked New York State Police vehicles were used during the campaign.

Unmarked vehicles are identified as Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement, designed to more easily identify motorists who violate the law. To a motorist, the CITE vehicle just blends in with traffic until emergency lighting is activated.

Tickets during the campaign resulted in 14,460 for speeding, 1,600 for seatbelt violations, and 828 for the Move Over Law. In 2024, New York State Troopers issued 45,770 tickets and arrested 755 people for DWI.

Southern And Central New York State Ticket Breakdown

NYS Troop C serves the Southern Tier of New York, resulting in 49 DWI arrests, 1073 for speeding, 81 for distracted driving, 182 for child restraint and seat belt violations, and 66 for the Move Over Law, with a total of 3579 tickets issued, which includes other violations.

NYS Troop D serves the Central New York region, resulting in 64 DWI arrests, 957 for speeding, 76 for distracted driving, 137 for child restraint and seat belt violations, and 43 for the Move Over Law, with a total of 4408 tickets issued, which includes other violations.