VCU news

By Mike Porter

Virginia Commonwealth University Police will check for a variety of safety issues during a safety checkpoint this weekend.

VCU Police will operate a checkpoint from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday, March 17, along the 700 block of West Main Street. Officers will check operator licenses and vehicle registrations and review seatbelt compliance and other safety issues. Any drunken or drug-impaired drivers will be arrested.

The checkpoint is supported by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles Highway Safety Office. Vehicles will be screened by officers from the VCU Police Department, the City of Richmond Police Department and the Virginia State Police. Agents from the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control also will participate.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 700 people were killed nationwide in crashes involving drunk drivers during St. Patrick’s Day holidays from 2006 to 2010. On average, every 51 minutes a person is killed in drunk-driving crashes in the United States and the majority of these crashes involve drivers who are almost twice the legal limit.

The VCU Police Department joins the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other agencies in calling on those who may be celebrating to plan a safe way home before the festivities begin, designate a sober driver or use a taxi or public transportation.  If someone you know appears to be impaired and is trying to get behind the wheel, help them make other arrangements and take away their keys if necessary.