Virginia launches aggressive DUI enforcement and awareness campaign for Labor Day weekend
Richmond, Virginia – As Labor Day weekend approaches, Virginia law enforcement agencies are stepping up efforts to protect lives and prevent impaired driving through the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign. Nearly 200 agencies across the Commonwealth will be conducting 705 saturation patrols and 86 sobriety checkpoints from now through September 1, 2025.
The campaign, now in its 24th year, combines high-visibility enforcement with public education to tackle a persistent and deadly threat on Virginia roads. In 2024 alone, there were 6,767 alcohol-related crashes, resulting in 318 deaths and 4,306 injuries—an 8.5% increase in fatalities compared to the previous year.
“Over last year’s Labor Day weekend in Virginia, ten people lost their lives in traffic crashes, with one-third of those deaths involving a driver who was drinking,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “In addition, over the same weekend last year, there were 95 alcohol-related crashes and 19 serious alcohol-related traffic injuries. These heartbreaking events are avoidable, and I encourage everyone to plan ahead, line up a safe ride home and do not drink and drive.”
Crashes Are Preventable, Lives Are at Stake
Secretary of Transportation W. Sheppard Miller III emphasized the importance of personal responsibility, stating: “Alcohol-related crashes are preventable. One simple decision can either save a life or take a life, which is why I urge everyone to make the right decision and do not drink and drive over the upcoming holiday weekend.”
The campaign is backed by a powerful new initiative called “What’s the Damage?”, which uses creative messaging to show the human and financial costs of drunk driving. These materials are being deployed statewide across digital platforms, supported by the website WhatsTheDamage.org.
Targeted Research Drives Prevention
New research commissioned by the Global Web Index (GWI) reveals concerning patterns among high-risk groups. A survey of 1,000 Virginia males aged 21 to 35—the demographic most likely to drive after drinking—found that 96.1% believe it is important to plan for a safe ride home, but only 69% frequently do. This gap in behavior underscores the need for increased education and community accountability.
“We’re working with law enforcement officers to help stop impaired drivers and save lives across the Commonwealth. Ahead of your Labor Day weekend plans, choose to plan for a safe and sober ride home before your festivities,” said DMV Commissioner Gerald Lackey, who also serves as the Governor’s Highway Safety Representative. “You don’t want to make a choice that could potentially end your life or someone else’s.”
State Police and Operation CARE Join the Effort
From August 29 through September 1, Virginia State Police troopers will participate in Operation CARE (Crash Awareness Reduction Effort), a national traffic safety initiative aimed at reducing fatalities caused by impaired driving, speeding, and lack of seatbelt use.
“With 181 law enforcement agencies participating throughout the Commonwealth, Virginians will see a significantly stepped-up effort by state and local law enforcement to identify and apprehend impaired drivers through the Labor Day holiday,” said Colonel Matthew D. Hanley, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police.
Since the launch of Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over in 2002, Virginia has seen notable progress in combatting impaired driving. Alcohol-related crashes have decreased by 39.9%, fatalities by 11.2%, and injuries by 47.6% (according to data comparing 2001 and 2024 from the Virginia DMV).
The campaign, supported by a grant from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles to the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), sends a clear message: if you drive drunk, you will get caught—and the consequences may be devastating.
