Be a HERO
DRIVE SMART Virginia is working with the Virginia Highway Office at DMV and the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association to promote the HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers® in Virginia. This campaign encourages restaurants and bars to provide free non-alcoholic drinks to designated drivers. The effort was started by the family of John Elliott, a young Naval Academy graduate who was killed by a drunk driver in 2000. In 2007, 37% of all car crash fatalities in Virginia were alcohol related. Join HERO now to help us raise awareness about the importance of planning for an evening out by using a designated driver. Our goal is to help people realize how easy it is have fun responsibly.
If you own a restaurant or bar and would like to help promote the HERO campaign, please sign up to be "HERO Friendly Establishment". We will recognize you on this website and will send you, free of charge, all the materials you need to set-up the campaign in your business. We also would like to encourage transportation companies to be a part of this program. If you would like to help spread the message about the HERO campaign through your cab, bus or limo, please sign up to be a "Hero Friendly Transportation Company" so that people will know they can contact you for a safe ride home. All materials are available for preview on the materials page and you can order them through our order form.
If you are a college or university, civic association, or business that believes in the importance of designated drivers contact us to learn how you can help spread the word!
If you would like to pledge to be a designated driver, contact us and we will send you a pledge form along with some information about the campaign.
