ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is urging the Senate Commerce Committee to protect funding for New York state's program against drunk driving.

Schumer calls New York's STOP-DWI program one of the most effective in the country because it pairs prevention efforts with law enforcement activities. It's currently in jeopardy because it relies heavily on federal funding that's set to expire at the end of July.

The STOP-DWI campaign provides funding for education, sobriety checkpoints, and public service announcements, as well as law enforcement activities, including stricter roadside testing and harsher penalties for those convicted of impaired driving.

Schumer says without annual federal funding of $7 million, the program could end.

Statistics show that between 2009 and 2013, annual drunk-driving-related fatalities in New York increased by 14 percent, to 362.