County Invests $1.3M in Anti-DWI Efforts

(MINEOLA, N.Y.) - As part of ongoing efforts to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities involving impaired drivers, the Nassau County Legislature voted unanimously on Monday, Feb. 22 to apply nearly $1.3 million toward drunk and impaired driving-prevention initiatives.

The lion’s share of that funding, or $1,222,000, is expected to be generated through DWI/DWAI and Aggravated Unlicensed Operation (AUO) fines collected by the County during 2021. Funds will be applied toward the County’s STOP DWI program, which seeks to prevent motorist deaths and injuries by getting drunk drivers off Nassau County roads, monitoring offenders and prosecuting cases.

Legislators also voted to appropriate a $50,000 grant from the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation, Inc., which will be used to pay overtime costs associated with high-profile enforcement efforts during St. Patrick’s Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and other holidays that are statistically shown

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control indicate that crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers resulted in the deaths of nearly 10,500 Americans in 2016.

“Nassau County is committed to securing and investing resources into life-saving initiatives that will prevent impaired drivers from getting behind the wheel - and help us enforce the law when they are found to have done so,” Nassau County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D - Glen Cove), Ranking Member of the Legislature’s Public Safety Committee said. “I’m proud to once again support the STOP-DWI program as part of our ongoing efforts to make the roads safer for all Nassau County residents.”

Please contact Legislator DeRiggi-Whitton’s office with questions or comments on this or any other topic at dderiggiwhitton@nassaucountyny.gov or 516-571-6211.