Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus, Sheriff Carl E. DuBois, District Attorney David Hoovler, and STOP-DWI Coordinator Craig W. Cherry announced today that police will be cracking down on impaired drivers in Orange County throughout St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

The Orange County Stop-DWI program is providing funding to police agencies to provide for police sobriety checkpoints and extra patrols to help ensure that our roadways will be safe.

“St. Patrick’s Day if you are attending an event where alcohol will be served:

• Designate a sober driver before the party begins and give that person your car keys.

• If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home, call a cab, sober friend or family member to pick you up or just stay where you are until you are sober.

• Never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are about to drive while drunk.

• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local police. You could save a life.

The STOP-DWI crackdown is comprised of several initiatives promoted by the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation. These efforts are supported with funding from both the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and the National Highway Traffic Safety Association.