This May, Driven to Protect is leading the way in promoting National Youth Traffic Safety Month in Virginia. From the engineers developing the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) technology in the lab, to the parents and educators teaching students about safe driving across Virginia – it takes all of us working together to make Virginia roads as safe as possible. And we believe that our joint efforts will lead to a world without drunk driving.

In Virginia alone, drunk driving contributed to 247 crashes in 2021. Although Virginia has a zero-tolerance policy for those younger than the drinking age of 21; drivers under age 21 can be convicted of illegal consumption of alcohol even with a blood alcohol level less than 0.08%. It’s important to start the conversation with teens early – so they can avoid the life-altering, or even life-ending, effects of drunk driving.

We hope you’ll take the time this month to spread the word that May is National Youth Traffic Safety Month. You can download the materials below, or click here to see social content you can share directly through your accounts. In addition, we invite you to take the following actions to get involved: 

Share our social content throughout the month – or create your own content about why you want to see a future without drunk driving and tag 

Inspire students by bringing our STEM-based virtual learning modules into your own classroom – from hands-on projects to a fun Kahoot quiz. Visit the 

 to get access to all of our resources. You can also find the learning modules on Virtual Virginia.

 Send an e-newsletter or post a blurb on your website. Materials can be found alongside our social content 

 Interested in a guest speaker, a hands-on demonstration, or field trip for your students? Email 

 to start the conversation about other ways to integrate Driven to Protect into your classrooms, driver education trainings, or health and safety presentations.

 on Twitter for more information about the technology and traffic safety in Virginia.

View and download Youth Traffic Safety Month social graphics

Celebrating Youth Traffic Safety Month in Virginia 

On March 22, the Driven to Protect team attended Shamrock the Block in Richmond, Virginia. The admission-free festival featured high attendance from Richmond-area college students, as well as local community members.

Event attendees were able to interact with the breath sensor technology directly to learn about the role of the Virginia DMV and the DADSS Driven to Protect initiative, as well as the DADSS technology and its real-world applications to prevent drunk driving. This event specifically allowed for realistic engagement from community members who may have been consuming alcohol during the event.

Younger event attendees expressed great support for the DADSS technology and community members who visited the demonstration vehicle were enthusiastic about the life-saving goals of the Driven to Protect program. In addition, local police officers providing security for the event were pleased to learn about the goals of the DADSS program and the involvement of the Virginia DMV. We enjoyed educating visitors from the Commonwealth and beyond about the mission and goals of Driven to Protect and look forward to more successful events this year!

Driven to Protect at Shamrock the Block

For more information about the DADSS Program, use these materials:

In the Fall of 2020, we launched the Driven to Protect Discovery Hub, offering free videos and educational resources – including a series of STEM- inspired lessons – about alcohol-impaired driving and the ways the DADSS technology can prevent it.

For additional background on the DADSS program and resulting technologies, watch our videos below or visit our 

Take a look at the technology development process in the lab

Hear from experts behind the testing and development process

Learn about our work in Virginia, through Driven to Protect

Meet James River Transportation and learn more about on-road testing in Virginia

Hear from experts about how the technology can support fleet operators in furthering their safe driving goals

You can also download materials about the Driven to Protect program in Virginia:

Fact Sheet: Driven to Protect | Virginia’s Impact in the Commonwealth

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