A weeklong enforcement campaign begins Sunday
New York State Police and participating local agencies are increasing patrols from Sunday, October 25, through Saturday, October 31, in a coordinated Halloween traffic-safety campaign. Drivers can expect sobriety checkpoints and additional patrols focused on impaired driving, speeding and distraction.
The campaign is funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and is one of several targeted enforcement periods held during the year. Similar mobilizations are scheduled around holidays and events associated with higher risks of alcohol use or heavy travel.
Last year produced more than 44,000 citations
During the 2025 Halloween enforcement period, police agencies issued 44,545 citations statewide, according to the governor’s office. That total included 1,210 citations for impaired driving and 8,701 for speeding. Those figures describe enforcement activity, not a direct measure of crashes prevented, but they indicate the scale of the operation.
Officers will also look for aggressive or distracted behavior. The state’s message is especially aimed at drivers attending parties: arrange a designated driver, use transit or a licensed car service, and do not assume that a short trip is safe after drinking or using an impairing drug.
The state and the STOP-DWI Foundation promote a free “Have a Plan” mobile application that can help users locate a taxi, create a designated-driver list, review DWI laws and report a suspected impaired driver. People should use those tools before a celebration begins rather than trying to make transportation decisions after becoming impaired.
Pedestrian risk rises on Halloween
Halloween presents an unusual street environment. Children may cross between parked vehicles, costumes can limit visibility and dark clothing can make pedestrians harder to see. The state cited research based on decades of federal crash data finding that pedestrian fatalities are higher on Halloween night than on other evenings, with children ages four to eight facing a particularly elevated risk.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data cited by the state counted 201 deaths in alcohol-related crashes on Halloween nights from 2019 through 2024 when at least one driver had a measurable blood-alcohol level. Of those, 176 deaths involved a driver at or above the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
Safety depends on more than citations
Enforcement is only one part of prevention. Drivers should reduce speed in residential areas, scan between parked cars and expect unpredictable movement near gatherings. Parents and caregivers can improve visibility with lights or reflective material and should review safe crossing behavior with children before going out.
Communities can also help by keeping sidewalks clear, lighting entrances and choosing celebration locations that reduce repeated street crossings. For adults, the decisive step is a sober transportation plan. The patrol campaign increases the likelihood of being stopped, but the larger purpose is to prevent a dangerous trip from starting.
The state will be able to judge the week by more than citation totals. Crash, injury and fatality data will show whether added patrols coincided with safer roads. Until then, the most immediate measure is individual: every driver can remove impairment, distraction and excess speed from a night when streets are likely to be crowded.
Travelers should also expect that a checkpoint or traffic stop may add time to a trip. That inconvenience is secondary to safety, but planning ahead can reduce frustration. Drivers should keep registration and insurance information available, follow officers’ directions and move over safely for stopped emergency vehicles.
Source: New York State traffic-safety announcement. Reporting reviewed October 25, 2026.