(August 21, 2008) MECHANICSVILLE, Va. – Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine today launched the Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign in Mechanicsville, Virginia — a statewide initiative combining enforcement and education efforts to raise public awareness of drunk driving. The 2008 campaign, launches on the eve of a regional initiative targeting impaired driving on rural roadways. Virginia is represented in the initiative with more than 92 state and local law enforcement agencies participating across the state. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over half (55-percent) of the nation’s 2006 traffic fatalities occurred on rural roads. Last year in Virginia, 51-percent of the alcohol-related fatalities occurred on rural roads, according to Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles data. (More...)

Photographer: Bob Wall, VACP