(WGHP) — North Carolina law enforcement officials are cracking down on speeding this week, according to an NC Department of Transportation news release.

Law enforcement officials throughout North Carolina will be patrolling the roads July 18-24 as part of the “Speeding Wrecks Lives” campaign, which is a national initiative in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Speeding-related crashes are at all-time high levels across the country, including North Carolina, and one proven way to prevent speeding is an increased law enforcement presence on the roads,” said Mark Ezzell, director of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program. “Campaigns like these are key pieces to decreasing crashes, even as we work on more long-term solutions such as safe road design, safer cars and quality driver education.”
 
Last year, 424 people died in speeding-related crashes in NC, and speed was a contributing factor in nearly a quarter of all fatal crashes in 2021, the NCDOT says.

You can view more statistics on speeding in NC here.