RICHMOND – Just before the final weekend of the unofficial summer celebrations – Labor Day – the state of Virginia has introduced extensions to its long-running “Drive Sober or Get Pulled” campaign.
This version of the 23-year-old program is based on data from market research firm Dynata and features a website called “What’s the Damage?” that looks at the dangers of driving while under the influence in a more financial context. At the heart of the campaign is a list of the costs associated with driving while under the influence, reminiscent of a bar bill:
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- Court costs $300
- Car repairs $3,512.68
- Insurance increase $1,203.42
- Attorney fees $5,250
- Fine for drunk driving: $1,000
- Drinks $86.37
The tab surcharge is $11,352.47, as the photo shows.
“Drinking and driving costs more than your drinks,” it says at the top of the bill.
The campaign is a partnership between the state Department of Motor Vehicles and the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP).
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Increased enforcement
In announcing the new campaign on Monday, officials said 130 police departments across the state will patrol highways, streets and roads between now and Sept. 2, Labor Day. There will be 95 alcohol checkpoints and 610 individual enforcement patrols in operation.
Since the campaign began in 2002, Virginia has seen an overall decline in alcohol-related crashes (38%), deaths (18%) and injuries (46%), but an increase in the number of deaths from 2022 to 2023 prompted state authorities to develop a new approach.
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Last year, Virginia recorded 6,979 alcohol-related crashes that killed 293 people and injured 4,400, according to the website What’s the Damage? The death toll is 6.9% higher than in 2022. Of the deaths, 180 were drunk drivers.
“Virginia’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign is a multi-pronged effort to prevent and end drunk driving in the state. It will use both increased law enforcement efforts to identify and arrest drunk drivers and a parallel education campaign aimed at preventing drunk driving before it occurs,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin in a statement accompanying the announcement.
“Driving under the influence is about lives, the stakes are too high and the consequences are unforgivable,” DMV Commissioner Gerald Lackey added in the same statement. “In this new research-based campaign, we highlight the significant costs of driving under the influence and aim to make the financial impact a powerful motivator. But beyond the wallet, we reveal the true cost of reckless behavior – potentially the loss of your own life or the life of someone else.”
New target group in sight
This year’s campaign also has a new target audience: young men aged between 21 and 35. This group was chosen because studies have shown that they are the most likely to try to drive home after drinking.
Dynata surveyed 256 drivers in Virginia. While 92% said they thought it was important to have a safe driving plan, less than half of them — 46% — admitted they don’t always designate a driver in advance.
The state police also get involved
On Monday afternoon, the Virginia State Police announced that it would complement the local initiative by participating in Operation Crash Awareness Reduction Effort (CARE). The statewide program not only focuses on driving while under the influence of alcohol, but also focuses on speeders and drivers who do not use seat belts or child seats.
“When Virginians drive after consuming alcohol, they risk their own lives and the lives of others,” VSP Superintendent Col. Gary Suttle said in the statement.
State police involvement begins August 30 and lasts through Labor Day.
Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist covering breaking news, government and politics. You can reach him at [email protected] or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.
