RALEIGH – The N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program is reminding drivers to slow down, buckle up, and never drive distracted or impaired.

NCGHSP partnered today with the N.C. State Highway Patrol, Raleigh Police Department, and others to launch a statewide enforcement campaign, “Speed Wrecks Lives.”

Officials hosted a news conference on Monday morning at the N.C. Highway Patrol Training and Driving Facility in Raleigh.

The campaign, which goes through Friday, will target drivers that exceed the speed limit. Law enforcement agencies will increase patrols in all 100 N.C. counties to keep everyone safe on the roads.

“Though we’ve come a long way in vehicle safety and passenger protection, speeding is still one of the leading causes of injuries and deaths on North Carolina roads,” said NCGHSP Director Mark Ezzell. “This campaign is a reminder that speed affects everyone, not just drivers.”

The speed campaign is an effort of the Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, equitable mobility for everyone. Vision Zero acknowledges that the prevention of road deaths is a shared responsibility and includes factors such as road designs and driver behavior.

“Our goal is to save lives, and we’re putting all drivers on alert — the posted speed limit is the law,” said Highway Patrol Sgt. Marcus Bethea. “Even if you are not speeding, you can still keep others safe by reporting dangerous driving behaviors to the State Highway Patrol by dialing *HP (47) when parked in a safe public location.”

More information on speeding can be found here.