Drive to Save Lives Initiative to Safeguard Virginia’s Highways During Summer Tourism and Travel Season

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe joined more than 100 state and local law enforcement, and traffic-safety advocates at the State Capitol to officially kick off the Memorial Day and summer traffic and tourism season. The press event was one of four being held statewide Tuesday to introduce the Commonwealth to Drive to Save Lives, the nation’s first-ever traffic-safety campaign of this magnitude.


The nationwide initiative is two-fold:

• To reduce traffic deaths by 15 percent in 2014 across the country and within the Commonwealth
• To improve officer safety on our highways. 

The Drive to Save Lives campaign is a united effort by state police and highway patrol leaders, police chiefs and sheriffs to reduce highway crashes and fatalities. More than 33,000 deaths occur each year on our nation’s roadways. Highway fatalities rank as one of the top 12 causes of death in the United States and it is the leading cause of death among teens.
“Virginia is proud to join this nationwide traffic-safety program as a way of making our highways as safe as possible,” said Governor McAuliffe.

“The Commonwealth is averaging about 30 fewer traffic deaths this year in comparison to last year. But even one death is one too many, which is why the active participation of all motorists living, working and visiting Virginia is so invaluable to the campaign’s life-saving success.”

In 2013, Virginia reported 741 deaths resulting from traffic crashes. To achieve the campaign’s 15 percent reduction in traffic fatalities in 2014, there must be 111 fewer crashes and deaths on Virginia’s highways.

Read more from the Governor's office. 

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