RALEIGH – The Highway Patrol ended its Operation Slow Down campaign on Sunday, April 20. The campaign, which began on April 14, was focused on reducing speed-related collisions on North Carolina highways. The campaign was conducted in combination with the Governor’s Highway Safety Program No Need to Speed campaign.
Speed remains the leading cause of traffic collisions and fatalities in North Carolina and across the country. Last year, the Highway Patrol investigated 815 fatal collisions on North Carolina highways statewide. Of those, 208 deaths were contributed to speed. In 2012, 242 deaths were reported.
During the weeklong campaign, troopers issued more than 16,608 citations for numerous traffic violations to include 7,359 speed-related charges. Despite the end of the campaign, troopers will continue to aggressively enforce the speed limits on North Carolina highways. “Our number one priority is to ensure the safety of the motoring public,” said Bill Grey, commander of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
A breakdown of the most notable violations is provided below:
Violation Number of Statewide Charges
Speeding 7,359
DWI 352
Careless and Reckless Driving 360
Seatbelt 1,483
Child Restraint 198
Improper Passing 51
Left of Center 142
Driver’s License Violations 1,634