Anti-Drunk Driving Initiatives
From 2022-2024, alcohol was a factor in 75% of fatal injury crashes (car crashes that led to one or more deaths) in Arlington County. Alcohol impairs a person’s ability to think, delays responses, and reduces coordination—all skills needed to safely operate a vehicle. See below for different resources and initiatives that the County is working on to address driver impairment.
Recurring Campaigns
Vision Zero Campaign
The County’s Vision Zero team and the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) hosted an anti-drunk driving campaign in December 2024 to educate the community on ways that every person can help stop a friend, family member, colleague or even a stranger from driving while impaired.
The anti-drunk driving campaign includes distribution of flyers and coasters at bars and restaurants across Arlington to help share the tools to have tough but necessary conversations about drunk driving with family, friends, guests and colleagues on the resource page. The campaign will be repeated periodically around specific holidays with a history of higher drunk driving crash rates.
Collaboration with Arlington High Schools
Over the past three years, the Vision Zero team has collaborated with students at local high schools to educate youth on the dangers of impaired driving through student-led events. Such activities have been initiated coordinated through student-led organizations. For more information on how to bring anti-impaired driving resources to your school, please reach out to Laura Castro, Vision Zero Principal Planner.
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over
The Arlington Police Department participates annually in the Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign. During these campaigns, ACPD and law enforcement nationwide conduct increased saturation patrols to identify and apprehend impaired drivers during the holiday season.
SoberRide®
SoberRide® is a free service that helps people get home safely after drinking. It’s available in the Washington, DC area on holidays when people are more likely to drink and drive. SoberRide® operates during the December/January holiday season, St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day and Halloween to provides a free Lyft ride home up to $15. For more information on how to receive a discount code, visit www.SoberRide.com
2024 Regionwide, Data-Driven Anti-Drunk Driving Assessment & Recommendations
The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) selected a proposal spearheaded by Arlington County’s Vision Zero team as one of eight local planning projects that aim to improve roadway safety across the region. This project received $80,000 as a recipient of the Fiscal Year 2024 TPB Regional Roadway Safety Program (RRSP) to assess regionwide alcohol-involved crash analysis and mitigation recommendations.
This Regionwide, Data-Driven Anti-Drunk Driving Assessment & Recommendations project evaluated regional alcohol-related crash patterns and factors, researching successful strategies to reduce impaired driving, and producing a strategic package of recommendations to foster a consistent anti-drunk driving action across the DC metropolitan area. The project team included a consultant team and staff from the following agencies: Arlington County, City of Alexandria, the District Department of Transportation, Fairfax County, Montgomery County (MD), Prince George’s County Maryland, and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments TPB. The final report and appendices linked below reflect the findings and opinions of the consultant team, as presented to the project team agencies:
View Final Report (Analysis Findings & Recommendations)(PDF, 638KB)
View Final Report Appendices (Research & Data Analysis Details)(PDF, 5MB)
The County will be working internally, as well as with Regional and State partners, to explore and implement elements of the recommendations provided by the consultant team. We will provide updates through the Vision Zero Newsletter as we progress efforts to reduce impaired driving.
Additional Regional & Statewide Resources
Drinking and Driving Related Links | Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles
MADD: Mothers Against Drunk Driving
WRAP – Washington Regional Alcohol Program
Home - The Commission on Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program