Officers prepare for Labor Day weekend enforcement
By John Joyce
Published in News on September 3, 2015 1:46 PM
More than 35 million people are expected to take to the highways for one last summer vacation this Labor Day weekend.
Eighty-six percent of travelers will reach their destination by car, according to the American Automotive Association.
In response to the influx of highway traffic, the N.C. Highway Patrol will increase patrols starting today. The additional traffic enforcement campaign will continue through midnight on Monday, a highway patrol press release said.
In 2014, the Highway Patrol investigated 388 injury collisions and 13 fatal wrecks statewide over the Labor Day weekend. Speed -- not alcohol -- was the leading cause.
"Troopers across the state have been advised to crack down on traffic violators on the highways, and to apply strict enforcement to those motorists who are traveling at dangerous speeds or in a careless manner," Highway Patrol communications director Lt. Jeff Gordon said.
"Speed is the No. 1 factor in fatal collisions, and troopers will be looking for aggressive drivers, drunken drivers and other violators while patrolling throughout the state during the holiday week," he said.
In Wayne County, the men and women of the State Highway Patrol Troop C District II are gearing up for a long four days. During this stretch of calendar last year, troopers patrolling Wayne County wrote citations and arrested eight for driving while impaired, 42 speeders, 20 seat belts, two child restraints and one drug violation.
First Sgt. Jerry Burton said this year patrols will be focused on U.S. 70 and 117 and on Interstate 795.
"All of the beach traffic," Burton said. "Everybody going to and coming from the beach."
Recent construction along U.S. 70 has been a problem, specifically at Beston Road where there is a new stoplight for the newly completed portion of the U.S. 70 bypass, Burton said.
Accidents have increased with people running the stoplight, so that area will be given some extra attention this weekend, he said.
"Hopefully we will be lucky again this year," Burton said, referring to last year. No fatals were recorded in the county over the four-day 2014 Labor Day traffic enforcement campaign.
"I'd say that was a successful weekend," Burton said.
Wayne County Sheriff Larry Pierce, who is working with the county commissioners and using grants to try to bolster his traffic enforcement capabilities, said four more officers will be hired next year. The increased manpower will allow patrol deputies, some of whom will receive special training, to crack down on drunken driving and drugs, he said.
In the interim, Pierce said his deputies are being proactive in combating the problem of drunken driving, and that will continue this and every weekend.
"Our officers are out there just like they are every weekend, every day (of) the week," he said.
Over the last two weeks, and continuing through Sept. 7, the sheriff's office has been engaging in sporadic checkpoints throughout the county as part of the Governor's Highway Safety Campaign "Booze It and Lose It."
Capt. Steve Mozingo said more than 300 traffic citations have been handed out in the first two weeks, and six arrests for DWI have been made.
"We also recovered one stolen vehicle and had one with a felony meth charge," he said.
This time of year everybody heads to the beach for one last vacation, Mozingo said. But for his deputies on patrol, the key any day of the week is safety.
"There is no such thing as a routine traffic stop, so you treat them all the same," he said.
Burton cautioned drivers heading to the beach this weekend to be smart and to not drink and drive. The rest is common sense, he said.
"Pay attention while driving, watch your speed, wear your seat belt."