Speeders beware: Law enforcement campaign to reduce deadly crashes kicks off

Additional law enforcement officers will be on the roads Friday and throughout the weekend cracking down on drivers who break the law.

The State Highway Patrol's speed enforcement campaign is underway across North Carolina, and officials said it is an effort to save lives.

Deadly crashes related to speed have increased by 17 percent in the last four years.

According to the state Department of Transportation, 91 percent of speed-related deadly crashes occur on non-interstate roads, while 9 percent occur on interstate highways.

According to N.C. data, 424 people died in speed-related crashes statewide last year. Nearly half of those deaths were in men under 39. Speed-related crashes occur most often in Wake, Cumberland, Guilford, Mecklenburg and Robeson counties.

The campaign website reads, "Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to negotiate curves, makes it more difficult to stop a vehicle and increases the risk of crashes and injuries because other vehicles and people might not be able to judge distance correctly."

The campaign has already started and will run until July 24.