PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — The Prince William County Police Department has launched an intensified crackdown on drunk driving as part of Virginia’s “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, running through Jan. 1, 2025. The effort aligns with statewide initiatives to prevent impaired driving and increase public safety during the holiday season.
The campaign emphasizes the severe consequences of driving under the influence, including harsher penalties for those who cause injury. A 2020 law in Virginia elevated the offense of drunk driving resulting in permanent, significant impairment of another person to a class 4 felony, carrying two to 10 years in prison. Additionally, drunk driving that causes serious, but not permanently disabling, injuries is now classified as a class 6 felony.
Law enforcement officials stressed the importance of public awareness, highlighting the risks and consequences of impaired driving. “Impaired driving is both reckless and preventable,” officials noted, adding that the campaign aims to educate drivers about the dangers of getting behind the wheel while intoxicated.
The Prince William County Police Department is collaborating with public and private partners to curb traffic fatalities and reduce injuries. Officers will also adopt a zero-tolerance approach, reminding drivers that those caught impaired will be arrested without exceptions or warnings.
The campaign seeks to make roads safer by urging drivers to make responsible choices. Law enforcement officials reiterated, “Nothing kills a buzz faster than getting a DUI.”
Law enforcement’s holiday push emphasizes that drunk driving will not be tolerated in Prince William County.
