Date: April 10, 2000
Contact: F/Sgt. Jeff Winstead
Phone: (919) 733-5027 (ext.
238)
| For Release: Immediate
Date: April 10, 2000 |
|
Contact: F/Sgt. Jeff Winstead
Phone: (919) 733-5027 (ext.
238)
|
RALEIGH -- The N.C. Highway Patrol will put special emphasis on enforcing traffic laws on some of the state's most dangerous highways over the Easter holiday weekend. Working with the Department of Transportation, the Patrol has identified the 25 highway corridors in North Carolina which have had the most crashes on them during the Easter holiday periods for the past five years. The Patrol has targeted those roads for selective enforcement during the holiday period.
"We would also remind parents to use seat belts and child restraint systems," said Bryan E. Beatty, secretary of the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety. "This holiday should be spent celebrating life and family, not suffering injury or death in a traffic crash."
The 25 highway corridors with the most crashes are in the following counties. Wake (4), Mecklenburg (3), Onslow (2), Guilford (2), Carteret, Union, Catawba, Durham, Robeson, Wilkes, Rowan, Cabarrus, Haywood, Moore, Forsyth, Henderson, Burke, and Craven. From 1996 to 2000 during the Easter holiday period, there were 709 crashes, 474 injuries, and 2 fatalities on these roads. (A listing of these roads and the numbers of crashes, injuries and fatalities is attached to this news release.)
"Whether you're headed to the beach, visiting friends, or going to church, please drive with caution," said Colonel R. W. Holden, Highway Patrol commander. "Our Troopers will be looking for drunk drivers, speeders, and other violators throughout the state, in addition to our concentrated efforts on these particular corridors."
Last year in North Carolina, 15 people died in 1,451 collisions during the Easter holiday period. The 2001 Easter weekend begins at 6:00 p.m., Thursday, April 12 and ends at midnight, Sunday, April 15.
Citizens may report crashes, drunk drivers, stranded motorists or other highway situations to the Highway Patrol by dialing *HP (*47) on their cellular telephones. This is a toll free call that connects the caller with the nearest Highway Patrol communications center.
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Easter Holiday Crash Corridors (Unincorporated) |
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Included Crashes Reported During the Official Holiday Time Periods 1996-2000 |
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|
County |
Route |
Total Crashes |
Fatalities |
Total Injuries |
Crash Ranking |
|
GUILFORD |
I 40 |
62 |
0 |
34 |
1 |
|
MECKLENBURG |
I 77 |
60 |
1 |
29 |
2 |
|
ONSLOW |
US 17 |
38 |
0 |
47 |
6 |
|
CARTERET |
US 70 |
37 |
0 |
24 |
7 |
|
WAKE |
I 40 |
36 |
0 |
15 |
8 |
|
WAKE |
US 64 |
35 |
0 |
27 |
9 |
|
DURHAM |
I 85 |
34 |
0 |
25 |
10 |
|
CATAWBA |
US 70 |
30 |
0 |
21 |
12 |
|
MECKLENBURG |
US 74 |
29 |
1 |
19 |
13 |
|
WAKE |
I 440 |
29 |
0 |
15 |
13 |
|
MECKLENBURG |
I 85 |
28 |
0 |
15 |
14 |
|
CABARRUS |
I 85 |
23 |
0 |
8 |
19 |
|
CRAVEN |
US 70 |
23 |
0 |
22 |
19 |
|
HAYWOOD |
I 40 |
23 |
0 |
20 |
19 |
|
MOORE |
US 1 |
23 |
0 |
11 |
19 |
|
UNION |
US 74 |
23 |
0 |
8 |
19 |
|
BURKE |
I 40 |
21 |
0 |
10 |
21 |
|
FORSYTH |
US 421 |
21 |
0 |
15 |
21 |
|
HENDERSON |
US 64 |
20 |
0 |
21 |
22 |
|
ONSLOW |
NC 24 |
20 |
0 |
13 |
22 |
|
WAKE |
US 401 |
20 |
0 |
18 |
22 |
|
GUILFORD |
US 29 |
19 |
0 |
16 |
23 |
|
WILKES |
US 421 |
19 |
0 |
15 |
23 |
|
ROBESON |
I 95 |
18 |
0 |
12 |
24 |
|
ROWAN |
I 85 |
18 |
0 |
14 |
24 |
|
TOTALS |
709 |
2 |
474 |
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Traffic Safety Systems Management Unit
Traffic Engineering and Safety Systems Branch
North Carolina Department of Transportation
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