Loudoun Sheriff's Office To Conduct DUI Checkpoints On Friday

LOUDOUN COUNTY VA — The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office will conduct DUI saturation patrols on Friday, April 16. Authorities said the checkpoints will be concentrated in areas with a high rate of DUI-related arrests and crashes.

"We are committed to ensuring the public is safe while traveling along our roadways," Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman said. "And we want to remind residents to make smart choices, don’t drink and drive."

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles stated that alcohol-related traffic fatalities have decreased by 37 per cent in the last 30 years. However, statistics show that one in six people will be involved in alcohol-related crash in their lifetime.

In 2019, 264 of Virginia's traffic fatalities were related to alcohol, according to the DMV. Alcohol-related crashes accounted for 32 per cent of traffic fatalities across the state.

Virginia's drunken driving laws are among the harshest in the nation, the DMV said. If a driver is convicted for a first DUI offense, the minimum punishment includes a $250 fine and a revocation of the driver's license for one year. A DUI conviction also requires the installation of an ignition interlock device.