04/14/17 — Lawmen on lookout for speeders

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Lawmen on lookout for speeders

By Brandon Davis
Published in News on April 14, 2017 9:57 AM

The major cause of injuries and fatalities on North Carolina roads is still blamed on speeding.

And from today until Sunday at 1 a.m., law enforcement will conduct North Carolina Department of Transportation's Obey the Sign or Pay the Fine program.

According to the NCDOT, there were 322 speed-related fatalities and 10,658 speed-related injuries in 2015, and 23 percent of all fatal crashes was caused by speeding.

That year, 88 percent of all speeding related fatalities in the state happened on non-interstate roads where 55 mph or less was the posted speed limit.

"Many Americans believe they won't be ticketed if they drive within a 'buffer zone' above the posted speed limit," according to the NCDOT. "But now, law enforcement will be targeting and ticketing speeding drivers."

Wayne County Highway Patrol Sgt. Jonathan Whitley said a large number of officers will concentrate on locations of high-wreck areas during the rest of this week.

"We will be conducting live patrol on major corridors and checkpoints at various locations throughout the county," he said.