Sobriety Checkpoint Held In Manassas On Thursday: Police

MANASSAS, VA — A sobriety checkpoint will be held in Manassas on Thursday evening, according to the Prince William County Police Department. The checkpoint will be conducted from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Authorities did not specify the exact area of Thursday's checkpoints. The Prince William County Police department regularly conducts checkpoints throughout the county in an effort to discourage drunken driving among residents.

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.