North Carolina’s highways are among the deadliest in the U.S. and yet bills are continually proposed in the North Carolina legislature to raise the speed limit from 70 to 75 miles per hour on highways statewide. In my opinion, if these bills became law, it would lead to even more tragic deaths on our highways.

North Carolina is typically among the top 10 states with the most traffic deaths. In 2021, there were 1,783 people killed in traffic crashes on North Carolina roads, with 427 people dying due to excessive speed.

Close up of a car speedometer going dangerously fast.

While supporters say that there are several benefits to raising the speed limit in North Carolina, like improving the economy, there’s strong evidence that increasing the speed limit will lead to more deaths.

Would Raising the Speed Limit Improve the Economy?

The economic benefits are overstated. Supporters tend to point to one study that found that raising the speed limit could have a limited beneficial economic impact. For example, commercial trucks might get to their destinations a bit more quickly.

However, the same study also found that the increased operating costs of driving cars at higher speeds nearly halved the economic benefits, while simultaneously increasing fatal crashes by 24%.

What Are the Risks Associated With Increased Speed?

Covid lockdown conditions show that crashes may become far deadlier when people have the opportunity to speed more.

In addition, the American Journal of Public Health, one of the most highly cited journals on public health, found a “3.2% increase in road fatalities attributable to the raised speed limits on all road types in the United States.” According to the study, “the highest increases were on rural interstates (9.1%) and urban interstates (4.0%).” In short, our highways will be less safe.

Do Higher Speed Limits Cause More Accidents?

Yes.

Supporters say cars are safer than ever, and speed limits should reflect this. However, the laws of physics haven’t changed.

Once you reach about 56 mph, your chances of surviving a crash without serious injury plummet. According to Dr. David Harkey, President of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), “Higher speed limits cancel out the benefits of vehicle safety improvements like airbags and improved structural designs.”

What Is the Relationship Between the Speed Limit and Accidents?

According to the IIHS, increasing the speed limit on an interstate by just five MPH leads to an 8% increase in interstate deaths. Speed limit increases have resulted in almost 37,000 extra deaths in the past 25 years. Based on North Carolina traffic fatality data, raising our interstate speed limit by five MPH will result in approximately 35 more deaths every year.

A speed limit sign set to 70, flipping over to 75 miles per hour.

Raising Speed Limits Will Increase Fatalities in Already Problematic Areas

Raising the speed limit will not have an equal effect on highways statewide and will exacerbate existing problems in areas of the state already dealing with high crash fatality rates.

For instance, Robeson County is one of the most dangerous counties for drivers according to the NCDOT. In 2021, Robeson had 63 fatal crashes and 1,208 non-fatal injury crashes. Raising speed limits in more rural areas will encourage speeders to push the boundaries even further. And for more congested regions, like Mecklenburg County, raising speed limits makes even less safety sense.

History repeating itself?

Sadly, we’ve been here before. In 1995, the NHS Act allowed states to set their own speed limits. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that states which increased their speed limits in 1996 experienced approximately 350 more interstate fatalities, or 9% more than would have been expected.

The following year, North Carolina increased its interstate speed limit from 60 to 70 MPH and saw a 5.4% increase in interstate deaths, with interstate deaths accounting for 2.2% more traffic deaths overall than the previous year.

Is a jump from 70 to 75 MPH worth the extra deaths this time?

More people will die on our highways if we raise the speed limit in North Carolina, and, in my opinion, the purported benefits do not justify the risk to people. For the safety of North Carolinians, legislation allowing speed limits to be raised in our state must not be passed.

If you’ve been injured by a speeding or reckless driver, call 1-866-900-7078 for a free case evaluation

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St. Pat’s Day Parades, Plus Sober Ride Services

St. Patrick’s Day Among Deadliest for Alcohol-Related Crashes

While St. Patrick’s Day parades have offered fun and entertainment for all ages in year’s past, it’s a day of binge drinking for many. According to Wallethub, 75% of fatal drunk driving car crashes on St. Patrick’s Day involve a driver who has consumed more than 2X the legal alcohol limit. The legal limit in NC is 0.08.

St. Patrick’s Day is among the deadliest for alcohol-related crashes.

A National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) study found that alcohol-related crashes claimed a life every 51 minutes on St. Patrick’s Day in 2010, accounting for 32% of all fatalities that occurred that day.

NC Sober Ride Services Take You and Your Car Home

We don’t want to rain on anyone’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. We just want you to be safe getting to and from them (or any other event).

If you plan to drink, don’t drive. If you plan to drive, don’t drink. Designate a driver.

There are many services across North Carolina that offer designated rides home, and their rates are comparable to taxis, even cheaper in some cases. Whatever the cost, it’s cheaper than a DWI or worse – hospital bills and a lawsuit.

Here’s a list of North Carolina’s sober ride services in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, and Fayetteville and their surrounding communities and towns.

These services take you and your car home.

There’s also Uber and Lyft in addition to local taxi services. Not only can they take you home, but you could take them to the parade and avoid any parking issues – or having to deal with other drivers who may have had one too many Guinness.

Get FREE Advice From NC Car Wreck Attorneys

Whatever you do and no matter where you are in North Carolina during St. Patrick’s Day, we hope this information is helpful in your efforts to safely celebrate it. If you or someone you love was injured in a car wreck, whether or not it involved a drunk driver, contact an experienced car wreck lawyer.

Contact us now for a free case evaluation to see if we can help or call us at 1-866-900-7078

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For many North Carolina residents there’s no avoiding travel during the holidays. Shopping. Visiting. Parties. And the usual commutes to work, kids’ games and practices. Time is tight. People are stressed.

And road rage rages.

Just in the past couple of months:

A man pulled a gun on another driver while at Concord intersection during a road rage incident.

A Hoke County man was shot and killed when an enraged driver plowed into his car, pulled out a gun and shot him.

At UNC Greensboro two cars tried to block another car that was carrying a young passenger. One of the drivers pulled out a gun.

What in the world is going on?

I’ll tell you what is going on.

More Stress + More Cars + Less Time = ROAD RAGE

People are stressed. Some are impaired by alcohol or drugs (including prescription drugs). Many are in a hurry. And some are just plain rude.

An article in Psychiatry MMC, published on the National Institutes of Health website, offers this:

“Up to one-third of community participants report being perpetrators of road rage, indicating that various forms of road rage are relatively commonplace. …The most common offenders appear to be young and male. A number of factors may contribute to road rage, including environmental factors (e.g., greater number of miles driven per day, traffic density), nonspecific psychological factors (e.g., displaced aggression, attribution of blame to others), and … alcohol and substance misuse. … Some reasons include borderline and antisocial personality disorders.”

Why Is Road Rage Higher During the Holidays?

Why is road rage on the rise during the holidays? We’ve been representing accident victims since 1997, and here’s what we’ve observed:

  • Traffic – This one almost goes without saying: the more traffic, the more likely it is for drivers to get frustrated and angry. With tens of thousands of extra cars on the road, the holidays become a breeding ground for road rage, especially during peak travel and shopping times.
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  • Unfamiliarity – Thanks to our mild climate in North Carolina, we see a lot of friends and relatives coming from out of state for the holidays. Unfortunately, that means there are many more drivers on the road who don’t know our roads well.
  • Unsafe maneuvers One reason out-of-state drivers are disproportionately likely to cause road rage accidents is that they may potentially make unsafe maneuvers because they are not familiar with the roads. And tailgating, switching lanes, and making turns without signaling can all lead to road ra  ge. Even something as simple as slowing down to try to read street signs can trigger rage.
  • Shopping and parking Parking lots are some of the most common places road rage can happen any time of year. When the holiday shopping season hits, the parking lots at the Tanger outlets in Mebane and even your local Walmart can become a mob scene. Too many cars vying for limited parking spaces can turn ugly fast.
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  • Seasonal stress The stress of coordinating guests and celebrations, shopping, planning, decorating and all of the other tasks that come with the holidays can lead to an increase in stress on the roads.
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  • Celebrations Motorists who go out of their way to enjoy the holidays may be at risk of road rage. Holiday parties can lead to late nights out, and lack of sleep can contribute to road rage. Likewise, drug and alcohol use can cause drivers to become aggressive and impatient with others.
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  • Winter weather Winters in North Carolina generally aren’t bad, but we all remember the ice storm of January 2015. Even a little snow or sleet can contribute to road rage.
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The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) lists even more reasons you might find worth reading.

What to Do If You Are Confronted By an Enraged Driver

If you are confronted by an enraged driver, DMV.org suggests being the bigger person and showing remorse by:

  • Waving to the other driver
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  • Mouthing that you’re sorry
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  • Allowing plenty of room for them to pass you
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  • If it gets out of hand, call 911 as soon as it is safe to. And don’t get out of your car if someone confronts you.

How to Keep Road Rage in Check

You can’t control other drivers’ behavior, but you can take steps to try to keep yourself safe from aggressive drivers. Here are a few ways to avoid being hurt in a road rage accident:

  • Make sure you’re OK to drive. Be conscientious of whether you’re too stressed, frustrated, or tired to get behind the wheel. If your safety is at risk, consider if those errands can wait.
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  • Plan ahead. Just know there will be heavy traffic and give yourself enough time to get your tasks done. Plan your shopping trips and other errands before you leave home. If it’s possible to arrange your schedule to go during off-peak hours, you’ll be much safer.
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  • Avoid distractions. Distracted driving can lead to missed green lights, failure to signal, and other maneuvers that could trigger road rage.
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  • Stay calm, no matter what. If you witness road rage, the absolute safest thing you can do is not respond. Don’t make eye contact, and certainly don’t hit your horn, tailgate, or antagonize the other driver.
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If you feel yourself getting stressed because of another driver, Psychology Today suggests you practice stress breathing in your car: inhale for a count of four, hold for count of four, exhale for a count of four, hold for a count of four, and repeat as many times as necessary to help bring your pulse rate and blood pressure back to normal levels.

The article goes on to suggest that you keep your perspective. You cannot control, coerce, or fix the other driver. But you can control you. Focus on being “relentlessly positive” and practice kindness, starting with you first.

Like my grandmother used to say, “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.”

Get a FREE Case Evaluation From North Carolina Car Wreck Lawyers

If you or someone you love has been injured by an aggressive driver in a road rage incident in North Carolina, contact us now for a free case evaluation or call us at 1-866-900-7078.

 
 
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