VA Traffic Deaths Drop By Almost Half Over Memorial Day Weekend

VIRGINIA — Eight people died in traffic crashes in Virginia over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, down from 15 people who died during the same period in 2021, the Virginia State Police said Thursday.

The decrease in traffic crash fatalities came as traffic volumes on Virginia highways were similar to pre-pandemic numbers, police said. The statistical reporting period began at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, May 27, and ended at midnight on Monday, May 30.

One person who died was a motorcyclist, and five of the eight people who died were not wearing a seat belt, according to the state police.

The fatal crashes occurred in the cities of Richmond and Harrisonburg, and the counties of Giles, Isle of Wight, Mathews and Stafford.

"Virginians took to the roads in numbers we haven’t seen since 2019 and with that came the need for patience and focus on the road,” Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent, said in a statement Thursday. “And I am pleased to see the number of traffic crash fatalities drop by almost half from 2021.”

This year, the Memorial Day Operation C.A.R.E. initiative fell within the annual “Click It or Ticket” campaign. During the entire statistical counting period for “Click It or Ticket” and the Memorial Day weekend which ran from 12:01 a.m. May 23 through midnight May 30, Virginia state troopers cited 4,894 speeders and 1,880 reckless drivers and arrested 90 impaired drivers.

In addition, 660 people were cited for seat belt violations, 118 were cited for child safety restraint violations and 144 felony arrests were made. Virginia State Police also assisted 1,735 disabled motorists.

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