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If you were riding with a friend and they started using their phone while driving, what would you do? Would you say anything?

How do you talk to your boyfriend who drives too fast? Or your sister who insists she can drive after having a few drinks?

It’s hard to speak up when someone is unsafe. Telling someone to change their behavior can be uncomfortable. But it can also save your life.

One of the most dangerous things we do regularly is climb into a car to go somewhere. When you’re in a car as a passenger, you rely on the driver to keep you safe. It’s your right to speak up if they are putting you in danger.

This makes you an Empowered Passenger. You have the power to advocate for safety anytime you are in a vehicle.

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Today, we celebrate focused drivers.

Here’s to you! For keeping your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel. Safety looks good on you!

Things you already know:
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There are too many things happening on the road to do anything but pay full attention.

Thank you for keeping yourself and those around you safe.

Thank you for keeping your eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.

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Today, we’ll focus on how high speed is a top contributor to traffic crashes and how managing (slowing) speeds can save lives.

Reducing speeds by just 1 mph can result in a notable 17% decrease in fatal crashes. In North Carolina, if we could decrease our traffic deaths by 17%, that would save 286 people from a preventable, tragic death.

We can manage speeds, reduce crashes and lessen severity of crashes by lowering speed limits, redesigning roadways to encourage safe speeds, and using technology to prevent speeding.
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November 17, 2024, 2:00PM

First Ward Park
301 E 7th St
Charlotte, NC 28202

The WDoR Memorial features pairs of shoes which represent the 1,784 people killed on North Carolina roads in 2022 (Source: NCDOT Crash Facts).

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The choice to wear a seat belt is not merely a matter of compliance with the law; it’s a commitment to your own life, the lives of those around you, and the people who rely on you to make it home safely..

Last year, there were 284,157 crashes in North Carolina. The best thing you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones is to always buckle up.

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The United States ranks worst in road safety compared to 28 other high-income countries (Source: CDC). Our traffic fatality rate is 50% higher than comparable nations in Western Europe, Canada, Japan, and Australia (Source: WHO).

Why is our country falling behind in road safety? One major reason is how we are building and designing roads.

Using the Safe Systems approach, other developed nations have been able to drastically reduce their traffic deaths by designing roads to be forgiving of predictable human mistakes. .

For more information on Safe Systems, click here (Source: USDOT).

No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. That will never change. But those mistakes do not have to result in a death or serious injury. Street design which prioritizes safety and accounts for predictable mistakes can save lives..

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Last year, 1,686 people left for a destination in North Carolina and never made it home. Another 115,009 were seriously injured in a traffic crash in our state.

Traffic crashes are a (top 3) leading cause of death for North Carolinians ages 1 – 44 (Source: NC Department of Health and Human Services).

These numbers are discouraging. But our goal this Safe Streets is to instill hope, because these tragedies are preventable.

There is a growing movement all over the world and in North Carolina, calling for an end to preventable traffic violence. People everywhere are waking up to realize that we don’t have to keep doing business as usual.

For too long, we’ve mentally accepted that crashes just happen. We’ve accepted that our freedom to go to the grocery store, to commute to work, or visit a loved one, comes with an inherent cost – a risk of being seriously hurt or killed in a crash.

This week, we’ll set the record straight. Traffic crashes are preventable. No loss of life on our roads is acceptable. We know how to save lives and prevent road deaths – through the Safe Systems Approach.

Source: FHWA

The Safe Systems Approach works by creating a transportation system that accommodates human mistakes and reduces the impact energy on human bodies.

Using the Safe Systems Approach, Spain has reduced their road deaths by 80% and Sweden has reduced their road deaths by 67%. 

For more information on Safe Systems, click here (Source: FHWA).

Last year, 116,695 families’ lives were forever changed by a traffic death or serious injury. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

North Carolinians deserve the right to vibrant, lively communities.

North Carolinians deserve freedom and mobility without fear of getting hurt.

No one should be killed going from A to B on an otherwise normal day.

This is a preventable public health crisis. It’s something we will change.

Dedication

Today is dedicated to AnnaLeah (17) and Mary Karth (13), who were killed in a underride crash with a semi-truck. A stronger underride guard would have prevented their vehicle from going underneath the truck.

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Take Action

There are 18 communities in North Carolina that have committed to Vision Zero, a program to eliminate roadway deaths and serious injuries.

Check out the North Carolina Vision Zero Communities.

Is your community on the list? If not consider contacting your local municipal leaders or transportation department and urge them to commit to Vision Zero.

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