CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The earlier start for Virginia schools has only somewhat lessened the travel volume for Labor Day weekend, according to AAA MidAtlantic.

Virginia State Police troopers will be on the roads in numbers over the Labor Day holiday this weekend, using their presence to stress safety, according to a VSP release.

“While traffic fatalities are down this year, during Independence Day holiday, there were 18 fatalities in the Commonwealth,” the release said. “Virginia State Police will be increasing visibility and staffing over Labor Day weekend, especially on Friday through Monday in order to keep the roads safe.

“Troopers know wearing a seatbelt, driving the speed limit, avoiding distractions, and driving sober saves lives, and we know that our presence on the roads reminds people of those facts,” said Lieutenant Colonel Todd Taylor, director of the Virginia State Police Bureau of Field Operations. “We want drivers to do all they can to make this a safe and enjoyable holiday for everyone.”

The Labor Day weekend winds down the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” drunk driving enforcement and education effort in its 25th year.

The effort started Aug. 19 and finishes Monday.

This year’s version of the campaign, according to the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) which champions the program, features 111 Virginia law enforcement agencies conducting 665 individual saturation patrols and 58 sobriety checkpoints across the Commonwealth.

“Virginia has made major strides in combating impaired driving over the last 25 years, and the Commonwealth’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign has been central to that progress,” said Virginia Secretary of Transportation Nick Donohue. “However, every drunk driving death, injury, crash and arrest is 100% preventable and preventing them requires all of us to do our part. Whether it’s planning a safe ride home if your plans include alcohol, reporting suspected impaired drivers, or simply buckling up, every action helps make Virginia’s roads safer.”

To complement the stepped-up law enforcement effort, WRAP pointed out Virginia’s 2026 Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over operation is deploying a research-based and newly enhanced public awareness program called “What’s the Damage?”

“First introduced in 2024, the program originally focused on the financial consequences of a drunk driving arrest,” according to the WRAP statement.

AAA ranked Seattle as the top domestic destination with Orlando, Boston, Denver, and New York rounding out the top five.

Alaskan cruises play a factor in keeping the Labor Day travel scene busy, with AAA observing bookings up, and finding the top domestic destination is Seattle from where those cruises originate.

“All those Alaska cruises are still popular,” AAA MidAtlantic spokesman Morgan Dean told Cville Right Now, “Gotta get those in while the weather is warm.”

Dean said it also helps that cruise prices are down this year compared to Labor Day weekend 2025.

“Domestic travelers are seeing higher prices for flights, hotels, tours and gas, while rental cars and cruises are slightly less expensive than they were last Labor Day weekend,” Dean said.

The average domestic flight is running $750, up 2% from last year, while the average hotel booking is $570, which is up 9% from last year. National average gas price is 4.10 compared to 3.19 Labor Day 2025.

Virginia’s average is 3.90-a-gallon, which Dean said is up 85 cents from this time a year ago.

Rental car prices average $450 per booking, which is down 8% from 2025, and cruise prices are at an average of $2700, down 4%.

VDOT will be suspending many highway work zones and lifting most lane closures on interstates and other major roads in Virginia from noon on Friday, Sept. 4, until noon on Tuesday, Sept. 8, according to a release.

“While lane closures will be lifted in most locations, motorists may encounter semi-permanent work zones that remain in place during this time. Check VDOT’s Travel Advisories for the latest travel alerts in your area and around the state,” the release said.

Looking at Culpeper District projects, there are not a whole lot in the Charlottesville area that barriers can be removed.

There could be fewer barriers in association with the Route 250/240 roundabout project, but most of the barriers need to stay.

“The All-new 2026 outreach delivers innovative and creative materials paired with impactful messaging, reminding Virginia motorists that a DUI offense can have consequences far beyond the financial impact, affecting a person’s relationships, friendships and overall quality of life,” the WRAP statement said.

Preliminary data shows as of Aug. 31, 2026, there have been 480 fatalities on Virginia roads this year, according to Virginis State Police. 

There were 542 during the same period in 2025.