State members of the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) are teaming up with their local law enforcement partners to effectively deter and detect drunk drivers as part of the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is organizing a national mobilization to implement sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols and other measures, as well as run public awareness campaigns. The campaign will run from December 16 through January 2, which is one of the five deadliest days of the year according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

"Any person who considers drinking and driving should know that police are out in full force watching for them," said GHSA executive director Barbara Harsha. "The time for warnings has long passed. If you drive drunk this holiday season, there will be consequences."

Nonfatal crashes can still cause injuries and property damage, as well as contribute to higher auto insurance rates for the area as a whole and involved parties in particular. Specific enforcement measures vary from state to state.

In Virginia, the state government is supporting media education and awareness efforts and using aggressive enforcement and checkpoints to catch drunk drivers. State officials have indicated they will also support organizations which support designated driving, taxi and tow programs that encourage impaired individuals not to get behind the wheel by providing alternatives.