Virginia is for (Sober) Lovers

RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 27 -- As countless Virginians prepare to hit the highways for the long Labor Day weekend, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and the Virginia State Police are reminding citizens of the many dangers and consequences of impaired driving -- including getting caught and arrested at one of numerous sobriety checkpoints blanketing Virginia as part of the Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign.

Funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Checkpoint Strikeforce is a highly focused, zero tolerance, continuous, state- to-state law enforcement effort to catch and arrest drunk drivers via sobriety checkpoints.

"As part of Checkpoint Strikeforce, members of Virginia's law enforcement community will be out in full force this holiday season and during the next several months conducting sobriety checkpoints in an effort to deter impaired driving and take violators off the road," said Secretary of Public Safety John W. Marshall. "Studies have shown that sobriety checkpoints can reduce alcohol-related crashes by as much as 20 percent. Virginia State Police as well as local law enforcement agencies across the Commonwealth are conducting at least one checkpoint every week, everywhere, through New Year's Day."

In addition, Checkpoint Strikeforce is this week launching a series of creative radio ads designed specifically to target 21-35 year-olds -- a hard- to-reach audience that is statistically most at risk for drunk driving. Of all fatal crashes, drivers in this age group have the highest incidence of intoxication -- approaching double the rate of teenagers and drivers 45 and older. (Source: NHTSA)

The first ad, titled "15 Minutes of Fame," addresses what it is like to get arrested for impaired driving, from losing your license to increased insurance costs to social embarrassment. The second ad, titled "Checkpoint," takes the listener through a sobriety checkpoint, and the third ad, titled "The Ride," uses humor to depict what it is like to have to rely on someone else to drive when a driver's license is lost (see ad scripts in press kit or at http://www.wrap.org ).

Polling conducted by Andres McKenna Research for the campaign found that 70 percent of Virginians aged 18-34 listed the loss of a driver's license as a main reason to not drink and drive. This was second only to the threat of loss of life or serious injury (86 percent). About two-in-three said increased insurance costs, jail time, fines, embarrassment and job loss were good reasons not to drink and drive. The research also showed that 89 percent of Virginians of all ages support the use of sobriety checkpoints.

"While we've made tremendous progress in the fight against impaired driving in Virginia and nationwide in the past, we must continually seek fresh approaches to battle the problem," said Secretary of Transportation Whittington W. Clement. "The Checkpoint Strikeforce ads are unique and highly targeted -- just what is needed to get to the heart of the impaired driving problem."

New data recently showed that slightly more people were killed in impaired driving crashes in Virginia in 2001 than in 2000 (358 deaths in 2001, a 0.85 percent increase from 2000). During the past 20 years, the number of deaths annually from drunk driving has ranged from 393 in 1981 to a high of 535 in 1990, and a low of 302 in 1997.

Officials with the Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign believe the statistics show the need to keep up the efforts to combat impaired driving. Just two weeks ago, Governor Mark Warner appointed a 42-member expert Task Force, co- chaired by Secretaries Marshall and Clement, to assess current efforts in combating driving under the influence and to make recommendations for new strategies.

The additional Checkpoint Strikeforce enforcement efforts and the half- million dollar radio ad buy are supported by a grant from NHTSA through the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP). The Virginia program is part of a larger Mid-Atlantic states effort (including Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia) also funded by NHTSA.

For more information or to hear the ads, please log onto WRAP's website at http://www.wrap.org .