In anticipation of the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, increased traffic congestion is expected across the state, as motorists travel to their intended destinations. North Carolina provides several vacation opportunities from the mountains to the coast which also invites an increased number of visitors from surrounding states.
With this in mind, the State Highway Patrol is urging motorists to use caution while traveling. Throughout the weekend, troopers will be out in full force to monitor driver behavior in an attempt to reduce collisions that occur from high speed, impaired and distracted driving and aggressive driving. Using the Vision Zero approach, the focus is to report zero fatal collisions throughout the holiday weekend.
“As we enjoy family and friends throughout the Memorial weekend, safety must be our top priority”, said Col. Glenn McNeill Jr., commander of the State Highway Patrol. “While celebrating, it is important to remember the brave men and women who sacrificed their own life, to guarantee the freedoms we hold so dear.”
Motorists are encouraged to follow these suggestions:
- Expect delays - research routes in advance to include secondary routes, detours and possible road closures.
- Monitor speed - speeding is still the top contributing factor to vehicle collisions.
- Wear seatbelts - seatbelts must be worn in both front and back seats if available.
- Avoid road rage - use patience when driving and avoid other motorists who may contribute to road rage situations.
- Don't drive distracted - avoid any distraction(s) while driving that reduces your ability to drive safely
- Collision Reporting - motorists involved in a property damage collision are asked to remove their vehicles from the roadway to the shoulder or emergency strip. Motorists involved in injury-related collisions should immediately contact 911 or *HP (*47) for emergency assistance.
- Reporting dangerous drivers or other emergency situations- motorists are encouraged to dial *HP or 911.
For non-emergency information, motorists are requested to contact the local SHP office and avoid using *HP. A list of local district offices can be obtained by visiting www.NCDPS.gov.
For updated travel information, motorists should visit www.DriveNC.gov.
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