Governor Youngkin reminds Virginians to drive sober or get pulled over

RICHMOND, VA – Virginia’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over DUI enforcement and public education campaign is on a mission to keep Virginia’s roads safe from drunk drivers this holiday season. Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over combines high visibility law enforcement efforts with research-based outreach to remind Virginians to plan for a safe ride home after drinking.  

“Tragedies from drunk driving are 100% avoidable, yet year after year families and friends mourn the loss of their loved ones due to this negligent behavior,”said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over is working to prevent drunk driving and protect Virginians this holiday season, which is why law enforcement will be ramping up patrolling and checkpoints across the Commonwealth over the next couple weeks. We’re asking everyone to help our efforts by planning a safe ride home if they’ve been drinking.”  

Between Thanksgiving 2022 and New Year’s Day 2023, 432 Virginians were injured and 23 Virginians lost their lives because of alcohol-related crashes, representing a 77% increase in alcohol-related crash fatalities from the previous holiday season.  

The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign is particularly concerned with reaching males between the ages of 21 and 35, who are statistically at the highest risk for drunk driving. During the 2022 holiday season, 91% of alcohol-related crash fatalities were males. The campaign’s latest local public opinion survey found that 63% of young men admit to driving after having a few drinks, getting in a car with a driver who has been drinking, or both.