Virginia's Labor Day DUI crackdown means more police on the roads

If you're drinking this Labor Day weekend, have the Uber or Lyft apps downloaded and ready to go.

Why it matters: More law enforcement will be on the roads ready to arrest you if you're drunk driving.

The big picture: It's part of a nationwide " Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over " campaign from highway safety regulators that runs through Labor Day — which is considered one of the busiest and deadliest times to be driving.

• And 130 law enforcement agencies in Virginia are participating, per a press release.
• That means 610 saturation patrols focused specifically on impaired drivers and 95 sobriety checkpoints statewide.

By the numbers: There were close to 7,000 alcohol-related crashes in Virginia last year, which resulted in 293 deaths and 4,400 injuries.

• That's a nearly 7% increase from 2022 in people killed due to drunk drivers, according to the release.
• Though alcohol-related traffic crashes have dropped almost 40% in Virginia since the campaign began in 2002.

The intrigue: The release also said that in a survey from research company Dynata this month, 21-to-35-year-old male Virginians are the most likely to drive after drinking.

• Only half always plan ahead for a DD.

The consequences: Per the DMV , the first time a Virginian gets a DUI, they face losing their license for a year and getting a mandatory ignition interlock device when they start driving again.

• A second offense means risking your license for three years and facing up to a year in jail.

The bottom line: If you drive drunk this weekend, you're weird, are risking lives and will face getting arrested.

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