Virginia Highway Safety Office News Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFriday, June 20, 2008
Media Contact: Melanie Stokes
Department of Motor Vehicles
(804) 367-6623
Motorists Urged to Use Caution During Fourth of July Holiday
Law Enforcement Operating DUI Checkpoints Across Virginia
RICHMOND - Virginia's roadways will soon be busy with drivers traveling to Fourth of July activities. Motorists are cautioned not to drink alcohol while driving.
"As part of the campaign's strategy, officers across Virginia will hold DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols every week until the end of the year to ensure that citizens drive smart, safe and sober," said John Saunders, director of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Virginia Highway Safety Office.
From October 1, 2007 through June 1, 2008, Checkpoint Strikeforce local law enforcement activities resulted in 779 DUI arrests, 1,023 safety belt citations and 209 child restraint citations. Thirty-six juveniles were cited for underage drinking, and there were 12,961 other arrests, citations and warnings. These figures do not include results from the Virginia State Police's enforcement activities.
Eighteen people died on Virginia's roads during the six-day Fourth of July holiday in 2007. During the five-day holiday in 2006, there were 22 deaths on Virginia's roads. DMV's Virginia Highway Safety Office, the State Police and the Department of Transportation encourage motorists to take the Highway Safety Challenge during the Fourth of July holiday and every day by following these calls to action:
- Drive drug and alcohol free
- Buckle up
- Share the road
- Avoid distractions
- Obey speed limits
For more information about the Highway Safety Challenge, visit www.safeVAhighways.org.
