The North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program, in partnership with state and local law enforcement, is holding the annual Speed a Little. Lose a Lot. campaign, which runs from Monday, March 26th through Sunday, April 1. The campaign reminds drivers that there is no reason to speed because the consequences could be more than just getting a ticket.
The intensified enforcement effort against speeding drivers underscores the severity of the problem across our state’s roads. Too many lives are lost each year in speeding-related crashes. In North Carolina speed was the cause of 336 fatalities and 17,466 crashes in 2017. This week, officers will stop and ticket anyone caught speeding.
“Speeding-related crashes and fatalities are totally preventable, and we will do everything we can to slow down drivers,” said Mark Ezzell, director of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program. “It is our goal to make our roads safe and this campaign’s focus is help save lives by educating and removing reckless drivers from our roadways.
During last year’s anti-speed campaign, which ran from March 13-23, 2017, there were 33 fatalities, including seven speed-related deaths. Speeding was a contributing factor in 23 percent of all fatal crashes in North Carolina last year, which was a two percent decrease over the previous year.
In 2017, nearly 23 percent of all speeding-related traffic fatalities in North Carolina occurred on local roads — where the posted speed limits were 55 miles per hour or under.
The Speed a Little. Lose a Lot. campaign complements the NC Vision Zero initiative, which aims to save lives on North Carolina roadways. The goal is to reach zero traffic-related fatalities through coordinated agency-to-agency efforts that help reduce risky driving behaviors by changing the overall traffic safety culture. No loss of life is acceptable.
