New York State Police ‘Speed Week’ 2020 Is Officially Underway

Slow down. That's the warning New York State Police are issuing as today marks the start of New York State's 'Speed Week' 2020.

According to the Associated Press, a study conducted by the University at Albany’s Rockefeller College found that fatal accidents in New York increase during the summer months.

The office of Governor Andrew Cuomo reports that “Speeding is listed as a contributing factor in nearly one-third of all fatal crashes in New York State.”  In an attempt to cut down on speeding and speeding-related accidents, New York State Troopers will be out in full force from today, June 11, through Wednesday, June 17.

During ‘Speed Week,' Troopers will be out in both marked State Police vehicles and unmarked vehicles called Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement vehicles. The unmarked vehicles will allow Troopers to more easily identify those drivers who are driving aggressively.

Speed isn't the only offense that Troopers will be watching for. Troopers will also be looking for distracted or impaired drivers, lack of seatbelt use, and drivers not following New York’s Move Over law. New York's Move Over law requires drivers to slow down and drive with extreme caution, switching to a different lane if possible, when approaching a hazard or emergency vehicle stopped on the side of the road.

New York State Police report that in 2019, Troopers issued "24,770 total tickets, including 13,016 for speeding, 571 for distracted driving, and 416 for violations of the Move Over law."