(Falls Church, VA, Friday, December 17, 2021) – In 2020, 272 persons were killed on Virginia’s roadways in alcohol-related crashes, accounting for nearly a third of Virginia’s total traffic fatalities. This represents a three-percent increase from 2019 when 264 individuals died in alcohol-related traffic crashes.

Since Checkpoint Strikeforce’s inaugural campaign in 2001, alcohol-related crashes in Virginia have decreased 41.2%, fatalities have decreased by 24%, and injuries have decreased by 50%.

George Bishop, Deputy Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, has advice for keeping impaired drivers off the road.

SOUNDBITE #1:

WELL, WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY GATHERING TOGETHER, AND WITH MORE PEOPLE OUT ON VIRGINIA’S ROADS, THE HOLIDAYS DO POSE AN INCREASED RISK FOR FATALITIES INVOLVING ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED DRIVING. FOR EXAMPLE, BETWEEN THANKSGIVING OF TWENTY-TWENTY AND NEW YEAR’S DAY OF TWENTY TWENTY-ONE, FOURTEEN VIRGINIANS LOST THEIR LIVES IN ALCOHOL-RELATED CRASHES.  AND THAT WAS LOWER THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR WHEN TWENTY-ONE PEOPLE WERE KILLED DURING THE HOLIDAYS DUE TO DRUNK DRIVING. SO OUR MESSAGE IS SIMPLE — IF YOU’RE OLD ENOUGH TO DRINK, ACT LIKE IT, AND GET A SAFE RIDE HOME.  DON’T PUT LIVES AT RISK BY GETTING BEHIND THE WHEEL AFTER DRINKING.

SOUNDBITE #2:

THE VIRGINIA D-M-V AND CHECKPOINT STRIKEFORCE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE STAYS SAFE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. IN TWENTY-TWENTY, TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-TWO PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES IN VIRGINIA AS A RESULT OF ALCOHOL-RELATED CRASHES. AND THIS WAS A THREE PERCENT INCREASE OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR. SO LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE OUT ON THE ROADS IN ORDER TO PREVENT MORE LIVES FROM BEING LOST THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.  OUR MESSAGE IS THIS — IF YOU’RE OLD ENOUGH TO DRINK, ACT LIKE IT, AND PLAN FOR A SAFE AND SOBER RIDE.

To learn more, visit www.actlikeit.org.