Local News

State troopers to increase patrols over holiday weekend

Speed is the leading cause of traffic deaths on the state’s highways. Troopers will be cracking down on speeders and aggressive drivers during the holiday weekend.

Posted Updated
Traffic on bridge (bridge generic, traffic generic)
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Labor Day holiday weekend marks the end of a busy summer vacation season, and heavy traffic is expected statewide this year.

Speed is the leading cause of traffic deaths on the state’s highways. State troopers say they will be cracking down on speeders and aggressive drivers during the holiday weekend.

Last year, the highway patrol investigated 1,189 crashes, 584 injuries and 19 fatalities statewide during the holiday period

“I have instructed our troopers to aggressively enforce the speed laws,” said Col. Walter J. Wilson, Jr., the highway patrol commander. “Don’t try to cut a few minutes off your travel time by speeding or driving aggressively. It’s just not worth it.”

The patrol will also join other law enforcement agencies at “Click-It or Ticket” seatbelt checkpoints across the state throughout the week.

The Labor Day holiday weekend officially begins at 6 p.m. Friday and ends at midnight Monday.

Citizens can report highway problems to the patrol by dialing *HP (*47) on their cellular phones. The toll-free call goes directly to the nearest highway patrol communication center.

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.