In addition to the nationwide DUI crackdown that was recently launched, the state of Virginia is making its own efforts to crack down on driving under the influence.
On August 21, the 2008 Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign was launched by Governor Tim Kaine and Virginia State Police. The focus of the campaign will be drunken drivers on rural roads.
According to the Highway Safety Office of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, in 2007, more than one-third of traffic fatalities in the state were alcohol-related.
The 2008 campaign will utilize DUI checkpoints and an advertising campaign aimed at young drivers. This is the seventh year for the campaign.
According to the latest available figures, in 2006, Virginia saw an increase in the number of alcohol-related deaths from 322 in 2005 to 374 in 2006. The previous three years had been showing declines.
