There will be an increased police presence in Buffalo and Erie County. You'll want to be careful this weekend so you don't spend the holiday behind bars or worse.
Erie County Police agencies announced tha they launched a Thanksgiving Holiday High Visibility Enforcement Campaign. In laymans terms, that means they are goingto be out in abundance looking for drivers violating traffic laws. The campaign kicked off today, Wednesday, November 22 and will run through November 26, 2023.
There will be more officers on the roads from Erie County Police agencies, including the New York State Police, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office. They will definitely be looking for drunk and impaired drivers, so it's best that you plan ahead for a ride home if you plan on drinking.
So far this year, 1,700 drivers have been arrested for Impaired Driving in Erie County. Drivers are subject to $10,000 in costs, including legal, insurance, and court fees, and are prohibited from visiting Canada for 10 years.
You can download the New York State STOP-DWI “Have a Plan App" here.
The Top 6 Drunkest Counties In New York State
The New York State Health Department's Center for Community Health records drinking statistics. As of the end of 2022,
The latest key findings from the Department's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) report, an annual survey of adults, showed one in six adults in New York State (16.7 percent) reported excessive alcohol use in the form of either binge or heavy drinking.
While fewer New Yorkers reported binge drinking than the year prior, there was still a slight increase in reported heavy drinking. An estimated 14.7 percent of adults in New York State reported binge drinking, while 6.5 percent reported heavy drinking.
These Are The 6 Counties In New York State That Get The Drunkest
(Based on the percentage of the population who are drinking excessively)
Genesee County- 23 Percent
Madison County - 23 Percent
Warren County - 23 Percent
Herkimer County - 24 Percent
Rensselaer County - 24 Percent
Saratoga County - 24 Percent
Most Commonly Broke New York State Liquor Laws
Gallery Credit: Rob Banks