Virginia State Police will blanket all 325 miles of Interstate 81 with increased traffic enforcement Monday and Tuesday as part of Operation DISS-rupt, a two-day initiative targeting distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding and seat belt violations.
The operation, set for April 28-29, involves troopers from the Wytheville, Appomattox, Salem and Culpeper divisions. The stretch of I-81 running through the Shenandoah Valley falls within the Culpeper Division’s area.
State police cited the initiative’s four focus areas by acronym: ditching distractions, never driving impaired, complying with speed limits and seat belt safety.
Virginia’s hands-free law prohibits drivers from holding a phone or other personal communications device while driving. GPS and phone calls remain legal if the device is mounted. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal, and speed-related crashes claimed 410 lives statewide in 2024, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
Preliminary data shows 167 people have died in Virginia traffic crashes between Jan. 1 and April 15 of this year, compared to 200 deaths over the same period in 2025.
“Initiatives like ‘DISS-rupt’ are aimed at getting Virginians back to the basics about traffic safety,” said Capt. Patrick L. Kirtner, commander of the VSP Wytheville Division, “making sure they are driving sober, driving safely, buckling up, and focusing on the task ahead.”
State police ran a similar operation on I-81 over the July 4th holiday weekend last year. Troopers issued 205 speeding citations and 76 reckless driving citations and made one DWI arrest during that period. There were no fatalities on the interstate during that enforcement window.
Information from a release. Posted by Dan McDermott.
