Virginia State Police asks drivers to follow safety tips ahead of new year

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Virginia State Police is asking drivers to follow safe driving practices ahead of the holidays welcoming the new year.

According to officials, preliminary data shows that traffic deaths are down in 2025. As of Dec. 15, 704 people have died on a Virginia roadway, while 813 people died on the road at this same time in 2024.

“While we are pleased with [the] fact that fatalities continue to trend lower, there are still far too many deaths on Virginia’s roadways,” said Colonel Matthew D. Hanley, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, in a Dec. 29 press release. “We will continue to do all we can to keep drivers safe on the roads. We need people to continue to heed the messages of buckling up, driving the speed limit, avoiding distractions, and driving sober.”

In 2024, throughout Virginia, 318 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes and 322 people who were not buckled up died in a crash, according to 2024 Virginia Traffic Crash Facts from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Highway Safety Office.

After a change in state law earlier this year, all occupants of a vehicle are required to wear a seatbelt or an age-appropriate restraint no matter where they are seated in the vehicle.

State police offered the following tips to stay safe on the roads this holiday season:

• Plan ahead, designate a sober driver or call a friend, call family, call a cab or use public transportation
• If you know someone who has been drinking, do not let them drive, arrange another safe way home
• Remain alert for impaired drivers and do not hesitate to notify law enforcement by dialing #77 to notify the nearest Virginia State Police Emergency Communications Center