North Carolina focuses on speeding to help bring down fatalities
North Carolina law enforcement is trying to remind drivers that speeding, no matter by how much, is always dangerous.
Speeding is such a common offense that many drivers tend to underestimate just how dangerous it can be. As the Winston-Salem Journal reports, however, a recent enforcement campaign by the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program is trying to remind motorists that speeding, no matter by how much, can easily turn deadly. The ‘Obey the Sign’ campaign is seeking to get drivers out of the mentality that driving a few miles above the speed limit is somehow acceptable or safe. The backers of the campaign note that speeding is one of the leading contributing factors in North Carolina car accidents and that accidents involving speeding are far more likely to result in death.
‘Obey the Sign’
The campaign, which local and state law enforcement agencies will be participating in, runs from March 24 to April 3. It’s name, ‘Obey the Sign,’ is meant to remind motorists that there is no ‘buffer zone’ above the posted speed limit. Officials note that many drivers think that by driving within this supposed buffer zone, such as by going five to ten mph above the speed limit, that they are somehow still driving safely.
Of course, while troopers use their own discretion when citing motorists, it is still important for motorists to understand that speeding, even if it is by just a few miles above the limit, is always dangerous. Officials point out that drivers who speed have less time to react to changing road conditions, such as an object on the road and other vehicles. Speeding also increases the chances of a motorist losing control of his or her vehicle, especially when road conditions are slippery due to rain or ice.
Deadly behavior
As the Lake Wylie Pilot notes, speeding is one of the leading causes of fatal accidents in North Carolina, contributing to about 23 percent of all fatal traffic accidents in the state. Last year alone 322 people were killed in speed-related accidents in North Carolina and a further 10,658 people were injured.
A crash that occurs at high speeds is much more likely to result in death. Accidents that occur on roads and highways where the speed limit is 65 mph or over are five times more likely to involve a fatality than accidents that occur on roads where the limit is 40 mph or lower. At the same time, however, the problem of speeding is not limited to the Interstate and other highways. In fact, in 2015 the vast majority (88 percent) of speed-related fatalities occurred on non-interstate roads where the speed limit was 55 mph or under.
Personal injury law
North Carolina’s roads and highways can be dangerous places. Every day accidents in the state leave victims with both minor and major injuries. For those who have been injured in an accident, especially if the accident may have been caused by a negligent or reckless driver, a good idea is to contact a personal injury attorney who can inform injured victims of what steps they may want to take next.