Safe Travels NC

Elect Safety

The NC Division of Motor Vehicles’ annual Crash Facts report is out, and it shows a 12% drop in traffic fatalities for 2025 compared to 2024.

Not only that: The number of people injured per 100 million vehicle miles driven in North Carolina last year appears to be the state’s lowest in at least 65 years.

Even so: We lost 1,524 people on North Carolina roadways last year. 152 of them were 19 or younger.

“The decreases are really encouraging,” said NC Alliance for Safe Transportation Board Chair Tiffany Wright, who is also director of public affairs for AAA-The Auto Club Group. “Those are real people still at family dinner tables, and that means an awful lot, even as my heart goes out to the families who lost someone. Any number other than zero hurts.”

You can dig into the numbers deeper with coverage News & Observer transportation reporter, Richard Stradling. We also pulled more statistics from the report together here.

This year we’ll gather in Asheville, Lillington, Greenville and Wilmington, but we’ve also widened the circle by reaching out to hundreds of North Carolina houses of worship with a request: Ask your congregation to pray.

If you have a congregation with a bulletin, or any organization whose people might focus their attention this month on road safety, please consider sharing something like this:

 Ahead of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on Sunday, November 15, please pray for the families and friends of the more than 1,524 people killed in traffic crashes in North Carolina last year. And please pray that we will all show one another love and care by always being safe and responsible on the road.

That’s the message we’ve sent to just about every place of worship in North Carolina that publishes an email address for prayer requests. We’re happy to adapt it if you have other ideas – drop us a line.

A reminder: October, November and December account for more than 40% of all deer-vehicle collisions in the United States.

That’s because it’s mating season, and deer are more active – especially around dawn and dusk.

Remember this safety advice:

• • Slow down in areas posted with deer crossing signs and in heavily wooded areas, especially during the late afternoon and evening.
  • Drive with high beams on when possible and watch for deer eyes reflecting in the headlights.
  • Deer often travel in small herds, so if you see one deer be alert for others.
  • Always keep a safe distance between your vehicle and others, especially at night. If the vehicle ahead of you hits a deer, you could also become involved in the crash.
  • If you see deer near a road, slow down and blow your horn with one long blast.
  • If you do hit a deer, pull off the road if possible and turn on your hazards. Do not touch the animal. A frightened and wounded deer can be dangerous or further injure itself.

It’s a mock road with lane markers, stop signs, roundabouts – the stuff you need to teach a child road safety, especially on a bike or scooter. It’s especially useful if your neighborhood is too busy a place to comfortably teach them to ride.

“This course allows children to make mistakes,” Poe Health Educator Renée Balyoz said. “There aren’t any cars here, so if they’re not quite getting it yet, and it takes a few tries, it’s OK and they’re going to be completely safe.”

The course is generally open on weekends – just show up at 224 Sunnybrook Road. Schools and other groups can book in-classroom sessions during the week that teach road rules and bicycle safety checks.

More information here, and we did a little video you can check out on Instagram.

Check out Durham’s Shape the Street program.

They close a street that needs upgrades, use paint and tape to make new lines, give kids chalk or washable paint to create roadway art and show communities what a permanent safety project could look like. They can make temporary traffic circles, show what parking-protected bike paths would look like — this short video explains it well.

That set up took 20 volunteers about an hour to create, Lauren Grove, Durham’s Vision Zero coordinator, said during a recent NCAST Traffic Safety Summit panel. Community input is used to inform final designs to improve unsafe streets.

“We got really quality feedback just by using duct tape and paint,” Grove said.

By the way: Roadway art? Studies show it slows people down and significantly decreases crashes with pedestrians and bicyclists.

They held lots of demonstrations, and kicked off the state’s annual Booze it and Lose it campaign, which includes a really great commercial featuring a lonely Grim Reaper.

You should also take a look at this GHSP video to see what happens to a toddler-sized dummy when they’re not properly restrained in a crash – at just 9 miles per hour.

When you share that video, share BuckleUpNC.org too, and let folks know: There are more than 3,600 certified technicians in North Carolina who, for free, will make sure your kid’s car seat is properly installed.

The NC Department of Transportation wants input on a statewide plan for walking, biking and rolling.

The DOT’s Statewide Active Transportation Plan will replace WalkBikeNC, which dates back to 2013. This plan guides partnerships, policies, programs and projects to create safer, more connected transportation options.

It could help shape improvements such as:

• • Safer sidewalks, crossings, bike routes and shared-use paths
  • Better connections to schools, parks, jobs and public transportation
  • More transportation choices for people who cannot or choose not to drive
  • More options for people of all ages and abilities
  • Greater opportunities for physical activity and access to nature

NC residents are encouraged to submit their stories and photos by Dec. 5.