VIRGINIA BEACH
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles’ Highway Safety Office has issued a commendation to the City of Franklin and 22 other Virginia localities that reported zero traffic fatalities in 2017. These jurisdictions were honored at a ceremony on Wednesday during the 2018 Virginia Highway Safety Summit in Virginia Beach.

The other jurisdictions commended were the cities of Bristol, Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Covington, Emporia, Fairfax, Falls Church, Galax, Hopewell, Lexington, Manassas Park, Martinsville, Norton, Poquoson, Staunton, Williamsburg and Winchester, as well as the counties of Charles City, Charlotte, Craig, Grayson and Highland.

“That no one died on the roadways in your community over the course of a year is a tremendous accomplishment. Each of these communities dedicated countless hours to enforcement and outreach efforts to save lives,” said DMV Commissioner Richard D. Holcomb, the Governor’s Highway Safety Representative. “I salute these 23 cities and counties for doing their part to make Virginia roadways safer for everyone.”

Virginia is an active participant in the national “Toward Zero Deaths” initiative, which brings together engineering, enforcement, education and emergency medical services professionals to work toward a goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities.

According to Brandy Brubaker, spokeswoman for the DMV, the adoption and implementation of the Toward Zero Deaths vision by many highway safety offices across America demonstrates a unified commitment in the effort to transform traffic safety culture.

“Next year, we want to add more communities to this list,” Holcomb said. “Help your city or county reduce traffic crashes by always wearing your seat belt, giving your full attention to the task of driving, never driving after drinking alcohol, and by always following the rules of the road, including posted speed limits.”