Attention, drivers who like to push the speed limit: Law enforcement agencies statewide are stepping up their efforts to ensure that all road users are adhering to safe and legal driving speeds.
Beginning on Monday, October 9th, the NC Governor’s Highway Safety Program is launching Operation Crash Reduction, which will continue through the upcoming weekend. This annual campaign is focused on enforcing responsible driving practices during one of the most perilous months of the year for fatal vehicle accidents. Throughout the next week, motorists should be prepared to encounter increased law enforcement activities aimed at cracking down on speeding drivers and raising awareness about unsafe speeds within communities across the state. This includes the use of radar operations and speed display signs.
This campaign is just one part of a broader initiative led by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is targeting issues such as speeding, distractions, and impaired driving in North Carolina, Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C. This geographical region has unfortunately witnessed a disproportionate number of traffic-related fatalities during the early autumn period. October sees a surge in North Carolina drivers hitting the roads for various seasonal activities, including festivals, football games, and taking in the beauty of the fall foliage. Statistically, October is known as the deadliest month for road accidents, with an average of 148 fatalities each October from 2017 to 2021 in North Carolina alone, surpassing even the second deadliest month, November.
It is essential to emphasize that in 2021, a significant 29% of the 12,330 individuals who tragically lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes nationwide were directly linked to speeding.
