Virginia Launches 25th Anniversary ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ Campaign

Virginia is marking the 25th anniversary of its “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign with a statewide enforcement and public awareness effort that will run through the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Beginning Aug. 19 and continuing through Sept. 7, 2026, 111 law enforcement agencies across the Commonwealth are expected to conduct 665 saturation patrols and 58 sobriety checkpoints to remove impaired drivers from the road.

“Virginia has made major strides in combating impaired driving over the last 25 years, and the Commonwealth’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign has been central to that progress,” said Virginia Secretary of Transportation Nick Donohue. “However, every drunk driving death, injury, crash and arrest is 100% preventable, and preventing them requires all of us to do our part.”

Donohue encouraged motorists to plan ahead if alcohol is part of their evening, report suspected impaired drivers, and always wear a seat belt.

The campaign is also expanding its public awareness message through a program called “What’s the Damage?”

First introduced in 2024, the campaign initially focused on the financial cost of a DUI arrest. This year, organizers say the message has been broadened to show how a DUI can affect relationships, friendships and a person’s overall quality of life.

The campaign also stresses the importance of planning a safe ride home before drinking.

More information and campaign materials are available at WhatsTheDamage.org.

Virginia officials say the state has made measurable progress since the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign began in 2002.

According to Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles data comparing 2001 and 2025, alcohol-related crashes have dropped by 45%, fatalities have declined by 36%, and injuries have fallen by 42%.

More recent DMV data from 2025 also showed a 22% decrease in alcohol-related crash fatalities and a 9% drop in serious injuries compared with the previous year.

“We are encouraged by the decline in recent alcohol-related fatalities and serious injuries, but there is always more work to be done,” said DMV Commissioner Saundra M. Jack, who also serves as the Governor’s Highway Safety Representative. “Safeguarding lives is central to the DMV’s mission.”

The statewide campaign combines high-visibility enforcement with public safety messaging intended to discourage people from driving after drinking.

Officials say new survey data also shows a gap between what drivers know they should do and what they actually do.

Consumer research company GWI surveyed 500 Virginia male drivers between the ages of 21 and 35, a group identified as being more likely to drive after drinking.

According to the survey, 89% said it is important to plan for a safe ride home after drinking, but only 34% said they frequently do so.

Virginia State Police will also take part in Operation CARE, or Crash Awareness Reduction Effort, during the Labor Day holiday period.

Operation CARE is a nationwide traffic safety effort focused on reducing crashes, deaths and injuries caused by impaired driving, speeding and failure to use occupant restraints.

Virginia State Police participation will run from Sept. 4 through Sept. 7.

“With over 100 law enforcement agencies participating throughout the Commonwealth, Virginians will see a significantly stepped-up effort by state and local law enforcement to identify and apprehend impaired drivers through the Labor Day holiday,” said Virginia State Police Superintendent Col. Jeffrey S. Katz.

The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign is supported through a DMV grant to the Washington Regional Alcohol Program, a Virginia-based nonprofit organization.

State officials say the message remains the same after 25 years: plan a safe ride home before drinking, or risk arrest.