KANNAPOLIS ó The city of Kannapolis was one of 15 municipalities recognized by AAA Carolinas Monday for traffic safety efforts over the past year, a AAA press release said.
The organization recognized towns and cities in three categories: communities under 10,000 in population, those with 10,000 to 30,000 residents and those with more than 30,000 in population.
Cary was named N.C. Traffic Safety Community of the Year in the over-30,000 category, which also included Kannapolis. Laurinburg claimed the honor in the 10,000-30,000 category, and Highlands won in the under-10,000 group.
ěNorth Carolina has made great progress over the past few years in making our roads safer,î Tom Crosby, president of AAA Carolinas Foundation for Traffic Safety, said in a press release. ěHowever, on average more people die on our roadways than most states. Just improving to the national average for traffic fatalities will save 130 lives a year.î
AAA Carolinasí Foundation for Traffic Safety provides awards in an effort to recognize cities that make a strong effort to make the stateís roads safer.
ěThrough enforcement, education and strong legislation and the examples of these communities, we can continue to save lives in North Carolina,î Crosby said.
Kannapolis was one of three municipalities, along with Bald Head Island and Garner, recognized for the first time. Law enforcement and community representatives from all the municipalities attended a ceremony in Durham on Monday.
ěThe Governorís Highway Safety Program commends all the local community award winners and the efforts and dedication they have displayed to make their communities safer places to travel and live,î said Becky Wallace, director of the N.C. Governorís Highway Safety Program. ěIt is the dedication of community leaders and our law enforcement partners that set the stage for the successes that AAA Carolinas is recognizing in traffic safety.î
Traffic safe communities are selected by looking at crash statistics, number of law enforcement officers per capita, presence of a formal traffic safety program or existence of a special traffic division.
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte provided the statistical analysis and the AAA Carolinas Foundation chose winners in each category giving extra emphasis to those communities that take steps to improve traffic safety efforts, the press release said.