Virginia State Police aim to ‘diss-rupt’ dangerous driving behaviors on I-81
Operation DISS-rupt Launches July 1-2, 2025
APPOMATTOX – The Virginia State Police Appomattox, Salem, Culpeper, and Wytheville Divisions will be conducting Operation DISS-rupt on all 325 miles of Interstate 81 in Virginia on July 1 and July 2, 2025. The traffic enforcement and educational safety initiative focuses on distracted driving, impaired driving, speed compliance and seat belt safety. Preliminary data from January 1, 2025, to June 15, 2025, shows 310 persons have died in a traffic crash on Virginia roadways this year; 372 people died over the same time period in 2024.
“As we approach the busy Fourth of July holiday, we want to make sure the roads are as safe as possible,” said Captain Craig C. Worsham, Commander of the Virginia State Police Appomattox Division. “Initiatives like ‘DISS-rupt’ are aimed at getting Virginians back to the basics about traffic safety: making sure they are driving sober, driving safely, buckling up, and focusing on the task ahead.”
Operation DISS-rupt targets the four key causes of fatal and serious injury crashes across Virginia’s interstate system. The operation’s goal is to achieve zero fatal crashes during designated enforcement periods and to reduce the total number of crashes on our interstates for the calendar year by 10%:
- Ditch Distractions: Virginia has a “Hands-Free” law that prohibits a driver from holding a handheld personal communications device while driving. GPS and making phone calls are still legal, as long as the device is mounted and/or not in your hands.
- Never Drive Impaired: Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs is illegal in Virginia. Even buzzed driving is drunk driving. Always designate a sober driver or use public transportation or a ride-hailing service.
- Comply with Speed Limits: Posted speed limits on Virginia interstates never exceed 70 mph. So, neither should your speed. Speed-related crashes claimed 410 lives in 2024 in Virginia.* Simply, drive to save lives.
- Seat Belt Safety ***NEW***: Virginia law, as of July 1, requires all occupants of a motor vehicle be restrained, no matter their seating position. Previously, the law only required minors and adult front-seat passengers to wear a seatbelt.
Virginia State Police also conducted Operation DISS-rupt on Interstate 81 from September 19, 2024, to September 20, 2024. During that enforcement period, troopers cited 504 drivers for speeding, 79 drivers for reckless driving, and arrested seven drivers for driving while intoxicated. There was one fatality on Interstate 81 during that time period in Botetourt County.
*2024 Virginia Crash Facts, Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles
June 25, 2025 @ 11:27 am
Why chose a 2 day period to have a “traffic enforcement and educational safety initiative”? Shouldn’t the goal be to have daily enforcement?
Speeding is down right out of control on I81 and has been for many years. The VSP presence on 81 is lackluster at best. The rare time I witness a trooper running radar, most of the time there are several vehicles that have blown past me in blatant excess of the speed limit and I know they have passed the trooper in the median who is still parked? Two days of enforcement will fix none of the above listed issues.
June 25, 2025 @ 12:40 pm
I wish something like that would take place in the Bristol, VA area. On I81 there is heavy roadway construction going on. The speed limit is 60mph through the work zone. I travel that area frequently and follow the speed limit because I respect these road crews. Most of the cars traveling through there though never slowdown from the 70mph speed limit and most are going over 70mph. I never see any type of law enforcement present to deter these speeders.
June 25, 2025 @ 1:22 pm
Thank you VSP for the ENFORCEMENT we also need this enforcement on I-81 from I-66 and the to the West Virginia State Line special Commercial enforcement
thank you
Tony M.
June 25, 2025 @ 2:32 pm
Seems our Governor is more concerned about a rainy day fund vs repairing and updating Virginia’s horrible highways, roads, and infrastructure as a whole. Infrastructure improvements may very save lives. As Virginians we are quickly approaching the Flintstonian Age of highway systems.
June 25, 2025 @ 6:00 pm
Why aren’t Law Enforcement officers throughout the state enforcing these traffic laws EVERY day as they are responsible to do ? I fear for my life every day I get on the roads. Reckless and extreme speeding is witnessed every minute yet we rarely ever see a police officer enforcing traffic laws these days. If they aren’t keeping the roads safe and enforcing laws, then who is ?
We aren’t not getting our money’s worth from Government employees anymore. Sad time .
June 26, 2025 @ 9:29 am
No one seems to abide by the ‘hands free’ from distraction law. Lots of car drivers are seen using their cell phones while driving. This is not being enforced.
June 26, 2025 @ 11:31 am
YOUR VSP WILL DO NOTHING, AS THY HAVE ALWAYS DONE. I SEEN TAIL GATING AND OFFICERS SIT THERE RATHER IT BE A TRACTOR TRAILER OR A CAR. I SEEN PEOPLE GO BY TROOPERS PARK IN MIDDLE WITH PHONE TO THE EAR AND AGAIN NOTHING AND EVEN SEE TROOPERS WITH PHONE TO THERE EAR DRIVING TOO. JUST LIKE TEXTING OR HOLDING PHONE, NO MATTER HOW MUCH COMPLAINTS OR COMPLAINING AND THE CHEAP ASS $50 DOLLAR FINE OR SAY THY ARE GONNA WATCH OUT FOR DRIVERS LIKE THAT, IT WILL MAKE NO DIFFERENCE !! WHEN VSP STOPS THE IDIOTS, THE FIRST OFFENSE SHOULD BE $300.00 FINE AND 1 MONTH SUSPENSION OF DRIVING PRIVILEGES, 2 ND OFFENSE $600 AND 3 MONTHS SUSPENSION . IT SHOULD ALSO BE SAME ON TEXTING TOO. START DOING THAT AND MAYBE JUST MAYBE SOME WILL STOP !!!!!
June 26, 2025 @ 11:46 am
HERE IS MY 2ND COMMENT. I HAVE TRAVELED 81 N-S THRU VIRGINIA MANY MANY YEARS. IF YOU CAN GET VSP TO CONDUCT AND PATROL THE INTERSTATE NOT THE SIDE ROADS OF TOWNS > MEANING THY SHOULD BE ON A STATE ROUTE OR THE INTERSTATE ONLY < NOT RIDING THRU THE TOWN. THAT SHOULD BE TOWN AND COUNTY OFFICERS ONLY. STATE SHOULD STICK TO STATE ROUTE ""ONLY"" AND INTERSTATE ""ONLY"" !!! IF TRUCKERS HAVE TO HAVE HEAD SETS THEN STATE TROOPERS SHOULD HAVE THM TOO !!! YOU FOLKS DRIVING CARS PICKUPS RV'S ETC . SHOULD ALSO BE REQUIRED TO HAVE HEAD SETS ( EAR PIECE ) ETC TOO. SO TROOPERS, GET ON THE INTERSTATE, LEAVE TOWN ROADS TO TOWN AND COUNTY WITH HELP ONLY FROM VSP !!!!