Law enforcement agencies will also be cracking down on drivers who are impaired by drugs, both illegal and prescription.
First-time offenders driving while intoxicated or impaired by drugs with a child less than 16 years old in the vehicle may be charged with a Class E felony, punishable by up to four years in prison. Drivers convicted must install and maintain an ignition interlock on any vehicle owned or operated by the driver for a minimum period of six months.
In 2012, according to DMV statistics, there were 8,633 alcohol-related crashes in New York State reported by police, resulting in 358 people killed and 6,303 injured. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), from 2007-2011, 172 people, or 52 percent, of all national fatalities occurring on Halloween night lost their lives in a drunk driving-related crash.
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