Sobriety Checkpoint Planned For Manassas On Thursday Evening: Police

MANASSAS, VA — Members of the Prince William County Police Department will conduct a sobriety checkpoint in Manassas on Thursday evening from 8 p.m. until 12 a.m.

Authorities did not specify the exact location of Thursday's checkpoint but said it would be in the Manassas area of the county's western district.

The Prince William County Police Department regularly conducts checkpoints throughout the county in an effort to discourage drunken driving among residents.

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles said that alcohol-related traffic fatalities have decreased by 37 per cent in the last 30 years. But statistics showed that one in six people will be involved in alcohol-related crash in their lifetime.

In 2019, 264 of Virginia's traffic fatalities were related to alcohol, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Alcohol-related crashes accounted for 32 per cent of traffic fatalities across the state.

Virginia's drunken driving laws are among the harshest in the nation, the DMV said. If a driver is convicted of a first DUI offense, the minimum punishment includes a $250 fine and revocation of the driver's license for one year. A DUI conviction can also require the installation of an ignition interlock device.

Even fighting a DUI conviction can prove to be costly. According to the Virginia DMV, fighting a DUI can cost between $5,000 and $20,000.

Across the country, 28 people die in drunken driving crashes every day, according to the DMV.

Resources are available for people who are struggling with addiction. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration operates a 24/7 hotline that can help people find resources and get the help they need.