Prom season patrols begin
By John Joyce
Published in News on April 22, 2014 1:46 PM
The N.C. State Highway Patrol announced that it will be conducting an operation this week aimed at reducing the number of traffic accidents and deaths involving teenagers during prom season.
"Operation: Drive to Live" will commence at 6 a.m. and run through 5 p.m. daily until Friday.
"Prom season affords the Highway Patrol an opportunity to bring teen driver safety to the forefront," N.C. State Highway Patrol Commander Bill Grey said.
Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for young drivers age 15 to 20, according to a press release issued Monday.
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration said young drivers are "significantly over-represented in fatal crashes" taking place on the nation's roadways.
A leading cause is distracted driving.
In 2012 alone, 3,328 drivers under 20 years of age were killed in distracted driving crashes, the release said.
The N.C. State Highway Patrol investigated more than 47,000 collisions involving drivers or passengers 15 to 19 years old in 2013. Of them, 86 resulted in one or more fatalities, according to the release.
Troopers will be conducting traffic safety education programs at schools across the state, and the enforcement of all traffic laws in and around school zones will be a top priority, the release said.
"Through education and enforcement efforts we can reduce the number of our teenagers killed and injured on North Carolina highways," Grey said.