NC State Patrol Launches ‘Operation Drive to Live’ to Reduce Teen Vehicle Crashes

NORTH CAROLINA – According to a news story posted online at wfmynews2.com, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol has launched “Operation Drive to Live,” a one-week initiative focused on reducing teen vehicle crashes in the state. The operation will run from Monday, April 8, to Friday, April 12, 2019.* 

Operation Drive to Live began on April 8 and features an increased presence of State Troopers in school zones in North Carolina. During the hours of 6 a.m. and 5 p.m., more law enforcement officers will be posted around schools to try to reduce the number of vehicle accidents that involve teenage drivers in the state.

In 2018, according to North Carolina Highway Patrol, more than 55,000 vehicle accidents in North Carolina involved drivers and passengers who were 15 to 19 years of age. Almost 10,300 of those accidents resulted in injuries, and 94 of them resulted in at least one fatality. Troopers say that teens can be prone to accidents because of their inexperience with driving and their level of maturity. 

During Operation Drive to Live, Troopers are teaming up with the Johnston County Teen Drivers Club to create public service announcements about distracted driving. The announcements will be posted on social media, and Troopers hope the awareness effort reduces accidents. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that car accidents are the primary cause of death for teens in the U.S. In 2016, more than 2,400 drivers and passengers age 16 to 19 died in vehicle accidents around the country. That figure represents six teenage traffic accident deaths every day. Also in 2016, a total of 292,742 teenagers were treated in emergency rooms for car accident injuries. 

Accident News is a driver safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help drivers better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes.  To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.

Source:https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/local/teens-slow-down-this-week-nc-state-highway-patrol-conducting-operation-drive-to-live/83-e9f0bdc0-522c-44eb-a1a5-83321b5b3feb