Data: Patrols save lives
By John Joyce
Published in News on January 4, 2016 1:46 PM
Checkpoints and increased patrols over the Christmas and New Year's holidays helped prevent any traffic fatalities in Wayne County, according to numbers compiled by the N.C. State Highway Patrol.
First Sergeant Jerry Burton said no deaths were recorded despite the 37 wrecks that took place between Dec. 28 and Jan. 3. The same was true a week earlier, when over the Christmas holiday the highway patrol responded to 40 wrecks, none of which proved fatal.
Burton called the several overlapping highway safety campaigns conducted over the holiday season "very successful."
Over the New Year's holiday, 10 DWI charges were issued along with four other alcohol-related charges. Three reckless driving citations were issued, as were 41 speeding tickets, 33 seat belt violations and two child restraint violations.
Burton said that community support was instrumental in the success of the campaigns.
"We had people calling in to report speeding vehicles and potential drunk drivers," he said. "That gives us an extra set of eyes out there so we can get to those areas and take aggressive or intoxicated drivers off the road."
Motorists can report suspected impaired or aggressive drivers to the highway patrol by dialing *HP on their mobile devices.
Statewide statistics for the 2015 holiday season traffic safety campaigns were not yet complete at the time of this report. During the 2014 holiday season, however, 27 people died on state roadways between Christmas and New Year's Day.