The Amsterdam Police Department is proud once again be participating with the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee with directed patrols during the “No Empty Chair” initiative.
The “No Empty Chair” teen driving safety education and enforcement campaign raises awareness of highway dangers in the hope there will be no empty chairs during prom and graduation season.
The 2023 statewide campaign is from Monday, April 24 to Friday, April 28. To help educate teens about safe driving, state and local law enforcement agencies that have School Resource Officers (SROs) or a presence at high schools are encouraged to conduct outreach during this campaign and throughout the prom and graduation season.
In addition to educating students about safe driving, state and local law enforcement increase patrols near local high schools throughout the state, and officers are vigilant in enforcing violations of the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) law. The GDL is intended to provide time for young drivers to gain critical experience in various traffic scenarios in a safe and controlled manner.
The enforcement component of the campaign target specific infractions statewide during the week, as well as other vehicle and traffic law violations.
The target dates for 2023 are as follows:
- Monday, April 24, 2023 – Speeding in School Zones
- Tuesday, April 25, 2023 – Seat Belt and Child Restraints
- Wednesday, April 26, 2023 – Cell Phone Use and Texting
- Thursday, April 27, 2023 – Operation Safe Stop
- Friday, April 28, 2023 - Underage Drinking and Impaired Driving
Additional resources for drivers, parents, and coaches can be found at the links below:
https://trafficsafety.ny.gov/statewide-efforts-improve-younger-driver-safety
https://vimeo.com/nysgtsc
