ALBANY — The New York State Police will increase patrols to combat drunk, impaired and reckless driving as St. Patrick’s Day celebrations get underway this week.

This special traffic enforcement detail, which is funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, began on Tuesday and runs through Sunday.

Drivers can expect to encounter more driving-while-intoxicated patrols than usual and some sobriety checkpoints during the enforcement period. State Police will also ticket distracted drivers who are using handheld electronic devices, and will also conduct underage drinking and unlawful sales to minors details during the campaign.

During last year’s St. Patrick’s Day impaired driving enforcement, troopers arrested 203 people for DWI, issued 372 tickets for distracted driving and 12,279 tickets in total.

Drunk driving kills more than 10,000 people each year in the U.S., according to New York State Police.

If you drink and drive in New York, you face jail time, the loss of your license, a higher insurance rate, and dozens of unanticipated expenses. An impaired driving charge carries a maximum fine of $10,000.