Dear Fellow North Carolinians, there has been a lot of conversation surrounding law enforcement “targeting” citizens around the country over the last couple of years, so be extra careful this week because speeding will most definitely make you a target in North Carolina.
Law enforcement in North Carolina are cracking down on speeding as part of the national “Speeding Wrecks Lives” campaign during the entire week of July 18-24.
According to ncdot.gov, 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.
“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 undoubtedly a problem across the state of North Carolina, and this data from NC DOT says even more, including that Cumberland County is one of the main spots for speed-related crash fatalities.
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424 people died in speeding-related crashes in North Carolina in 2021.
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Speeding was a contributing factor in nearly 25 percent of all fatal crashes.
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91 percent of speed-related fatalities occurred on non-interstate roads; 9 percent occurred on interstate highways.
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From 2017 to 2021, males made up the largest percentage (75 percent) of speed related crash fatalities. Males under the age of 39 account for nearly half of all speeding-related crashes.
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From 2017 to 2021, there was a 17 percent increase in speed-related crash fatalities.
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From 2017 to 2021, 27 percent of speed related crash fatalities occurred in the Top 5 Counties (Mecklenburg, Guilford, Wake, Robeson and Cumberland)
