New Push to Stop Drinking and Driving

WTVD March 19, 2007

Raleigh - First Lady Mary Easley urged students at Wakefield High School to drive safely as she kicked off Operation Drive to Live 2007.

The campaign is a safety initiative sponsored by the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety and the N.C. Highway Patrol to reduce traffic collisions and fatalities among teen drivers. Gov. Mike Easley has declared March 19-23 as “Teen Drive to Live Week” to encourage all teenagers to drive responsibly.

Students at Wakefield know the dangers of drinking and driving all to well, but the hope is that the campaign kicking off Monday will finally drive the point home.
Last year, four Wakefield High School students were killed in one accident off the 64 Bypass. The factors? Drinking, driving and speeding.

In January the same factors were involved in another accident killing another Wakefield student, Sadiki Young. He was 18.

“Teens in our state are more likely to die in a car crash than from any other cause and speed is almost always to blame,” Easley said. “Safe driving starts with safe living so students and parents must learn the facts to help our children make healthy and responsible decisions on the road and throughout their lives.”

Since 2004, 455 teenagers have been killed on North Carolina highways. Many collisions involving teenage drivers occur during their commute to and from high school Speed is the leading cause of teenage traffic deaths.

During Operation Drive to Live 2007, troopers will be enforcing all traffic laws around the state’s schools and conducting traffic safety education programs in the high schools. Troopers will be looking for violations such as speeding, following too closely, careless and reckless driving and any violation of the motor vehicle laws that can result in serious injury or death.