Law enforcement targets drunken driving on St. Patrick's Day weekend

Motorists can expect special traffic initiatives aimed at curbing drunken driving for the St. Patrick's Day weekend, law enforcement agencies on Long Island said Friday.

State Police and police from Suffolk and Nassau counties said the crackdown on drinking and driving runs from Friday through Sunday and includes sobriety checkpoints, additional DWI patrols and efforts to monitor the sale of alcoholic beverages to minors.

New York State Police Superintendent Joseph D'Amico urged revelers to use designated drivers or arrange safe transportation.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that more than 700 people were killed nationwide in crashes involving drunken drivers during St. Patrick's Day holidays from 2006 to 2010.

Suffolk County police said its enforcement effort will cover all seven precincts and include the department's Highway Patrol Bureau and members of the Selective Alcohol Fatality Enforcement Team (SAFE-T).

Drivers should expect to see increased enforcement on the roadways throughout the weekend, police said in a Friday news release.

Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano and county Police Commissioner Thomas Dale announced Stop DWI earlier this week, an initiative funded by DWI fines.

The initiative will include additional police patrols "and chances are if you drive drunk you will be arrested," Mangano said.

With Sid Cassese