Drunk driving campaign rolled out for Labor Day

A still from the ‘Act Like It’ ad urges viewers to act like responsible adults, not babies

If you’re mature enough to drink, you’re mature enough to get a ride home. That’s the message of a new anti-drunk-driving campaign in Virginia targeting young men.

The statewide “Act Like It” social media campaign, sponsored by Checkpoint Strikeforce, is aimed at encouraging responsible drinking.

It was introduced at a news briefing Aug. 20 by Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr.; John Saunders, director of highway safety at the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles; and Kurt Erickson, president of the Washington Regional Alcohol Program.

The campaign is directed at men age 21-35 because that group is at highest risk of driving drunk and the hardest to reach via traditional media.

The campaign is part of an education and law enforcement effort being rolled out for the Labor Day weekend. That will include 120 DUI checkpoints statewide and 640 “saturation patrols” operated by Virginia State Police and local police departments between Aug. 16 and Sept. 3.

“Saturation points are specific deployments that are doing nothing but looking for drunk drivers,” said Erickson.

There have been 209 alcohol-involved crashes resulting in eight fatalities and 106 injuries in Fairfax County so far in 2019, the FCPD reports. Three of the fatalities involved impaired pedestrians, and five were caused by intoxicated drivers.

In 2018, there were 362 alcohol-involved crashes in Fairfax County resulting in 12 fatalities and 181 injuries. Four of the fatalities involved impaired pedestrians, and eight were caused by intoxicated drivers.

Across the commonwealth of Virginia, 278 people lost their lives in alcohol-related traffic crashes last year, representing more than a third of all traffic fatalities. Another 19,790 people were convicted of driving under the influence.

A survey of male drivers age 21-35 in Virginia conducted in July found 49 percent admitted to having driven after having a few drinks or being driven by someone else who had a few drinks, Saunders said. And even though 92 percent of those surveyed believe it is very important to make plans to get home safely before going out, only 57 percent frequently plan ahead for a safe ride home.

What motivates that age group to not drink and drive is the fear of being stopped by the police, he said.

The consequences of being charged with driving while intoxicated are serious, Roessler said. First-time offenders in Virginia face an ignition interlock installed on their vehicle, a $2,500 fine, the suspension of their operator’s license, and up to one year in jail.

Since it began in 2017, the FCPD’s DWI Enforcement Squad has played a significant role in reducing alcohol-involved crashes. The number of alcohol-related crashes in Fairfax County dropped from 501 in 2016 to 403 in 2017 and to 362 in 2018.

“We shall not tolerate impaired driving,” said Roessler, who was injured in an accident by a drunk driver in 2016. “Driving under the influence is deadly and devastating to all in our community.”

“As a community, we need to be responsible,” he said. “We need designated drivers and alternative transportation. Take the keys, be the adult in the room. Get home safely.”