RALEIGH – Law enforcement throughout North Carolina will be patrolling the roads July 18-24 to make sure motorists obey speed limits as part of the “Speeding Wrecks Lives” campaign, a national initiative in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
“Speeding-related crashes are at all-time high levels across the country, including North Carolina, and one proven way to prevent speeding is an increased law enforcement presence on the roads,” said Mark Ezzell, director of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program. “Campaigns like these are key pieces to decreasing crashes, even as we work on more long-term solutions such as safe road design, safer cars and quality driver education.”
Speeding is a major cause of injuries and deaths on North Carolina roadways. Last year, 424 people died statewide in speeding-related crashes. Moreover, speed was a contributing factor in nearly a quarter of all fatal crashes in 2021. Males under 39 account for nearly half of all speeding-related crashes.
To be safe, drivers should always avoid speeding. Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to negotiate curves, makes it more difficult to stop a vehicle and increases the risk of crashes and injuries because other vehicles and people might not be able to judge distance correctly.
View more statistics on speeding in North Carolina here.