DUI Checkpoints, Other Enforcement Ramped Up Across Virginia

If you want to celebrate the end the summer with a few drinks, authorities want to remind you to find a sober ride home in order to avoid a DUI. Virginia State Police and local law enforcement announced statewide increased enforcement to combat drunk driving around the state in the coming weeks. There will be 94 checkpoints and 612 saturation patrols around Virginia from Friday, Aug. 17 to Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 3).

The state's 17th annual Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign intends to address a spike in drunk driving fatalities during Labor Day weekend. Last year, there were 248 drunk driving-related deaths in Virginia and 703 injuries on Labor Day weekend alone. In addition, 18,701 people were convicted of a DUI in the state.

The campaign is part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" initiative. 89 law enforcement agencies—local police and state troopers—will be participating in the increased enforcement.

In Virginia, a driver can be arrested for DUI with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above 0.08. However, authorities remind residents that judgement, coordination, response time and other factors could be impaired at a BAC below 0.08.

According to a survey Checkpoint Strikeforce and Lake Research conducted, 21- to 35-year-old men are most likely to drink and drive, and just 59 percent plan for a sober ride home.

"Nearly four-out-of-ten persons killed in drunk driving crashes in the Commonwealth last year were ages 18-35. Those are our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters—all gone before their time," said Virginia State Police Col. Gary T. Settle in a statement. "Troopers and other law enforcement professionals are on the roads everyday with the goal of protecting Virginians, and that solemn duty will be front-of-mind during the upcoming high-visibility periods."

Increased enforcement will resume during holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve.

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