Transportation

"Click It or Ticket" Campaign Now Under Way in NC

Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013, 3:31pm

"Click It or Ticket" Campaign Now Under Way in NC

The Governor’s Highway Safety Program today officially launched its Memorial Day "Click It or Ticket" campaign, marking 20 years of seat belt safety awareness efforts that have saved countless lives.

To honor this milestone and show support for the cause, GHSP is asking North Carolinians to get out their cell phone cameras, snap a self-portrait of them buckled up while parked and share it on social media, using the hashtag, "#SafetySelfie."

"As the state that started "Click It or Ticket" two decades ago, we're known for finding unique ways to encourage people to fasten their seat belts," said Don Nail, interim director of GHSP. “The ‘#SafetySelfie’ is just one more example of our innovative approach to changing motorists' behavior for the better. By harnessing the power of social media, we hope to convince the small percentage of people who aren't buckling their seat belts that it's the right thing to do."

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Operation "Road Watch" ends on successful note

Submitted by WBTV Web Staff

Friday, May 17th, 2013, 2:39pm

The Highway Patrol completed its Operation "Road Watch" campaign after a two-day intensive enforcement effort on I-85 in Cleveland and surrounding counties.

During the two-day event, which began on Tuesday, May 14, and ended on Wednesday, May 15, Troopers concentrated on commercial motor vehicle violations as well as focused their attention on motorists who were driving aggressively around big trucks, speeding, tailgating, and driving aggressively.

Established in 2007, Operation "Road Watch" was designed to improve commercial motor vehicle safety as well as the efficiency of commercial vehicle operations.

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Cold weather and your car; debunking the myths

Submitted by David Whisenant

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013, 8:38am

Cold weather and your car; debunking the myths

SALISBURY - It's the coldest week of the winter, so far, and there's a chance of a wintry mix in the area later in the week. So is your car ready to handle cold weather?

In a past issue the magazine Popular Mechanics ran a story dedicated to debunking common myths about cars and cold weather. From that article, here's a look at five of these myths:

1) "Will carrying sandbags in your trunk really improve traction?"

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NC Highway fatalities up in 2012 from 2011

Submitted by WBTV Web Staff

Friday, January 11th, 2013, 4:01pm

NC Highway fatalities up in 2012 from 2011

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety has released the total number of fatalities worked by the State Highway Patrol in 2012.

The total number of fatalities worked by SHP for 2012 is 87, compared to 74 in 2011. The total number of collisions was 12,450, compared to 12,113 in 2011, officials said.

This means the fatalities are up by 17.6 percent compared to 2011, and the total number of collisions is up by 2.8 percent.

Out of the fatalities, NCSHP investigated 5 involving motorcycles in 2012 and 8 in 2011. Motorcycle fatalities are down 37.5 percent from last year.

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New Program Requires Intrastate USDOT Numbers

Submitted by WBTV Web Staff

Thursday, December 6th, 2012, 3:13pm

New Program Requires Intrastate USDOT Numbers

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol’s Motor Carrier Enforcement division will begin implementation of a new program for intrastate commercial motor vehicles that they say is designed to make state roads and highways safer.

The Motor Carrier Registration program will require all intrastate motor carriers to obtain an Intrastate USDOT number, then display that number on all of their commercial vehicles.

There is no cost to the companies to obtain the numbers.

“This is not a new law,” stated First Sergeant Jeff Gordon. “This was adopted by North Carolina when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations were adopted.”

At that time, officials say, the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) did not have the technology to process intrastate numbers. That technology is now in place and the law will be enforced.

Registering commercial vehicles through the USDOT Systems is one of the components of a quality program that

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AAA Carolinas hosts annual Great Fall Battery Roundup

Submitted by WBTV Web Staff

Monday, October 15th, 2012, 2:07pm

AAA Carolinas hosts annual Great Fall Battery Roundup

AAA Carolinas will host its annual Great Fall Battery Roundup, a used battery collection and recycling program, as part of Car Care Month in October. It is available to the general public, as well as AAA members.

North Carolina motorists can receive $5 for every auto or marine battery they bring in to any one of 24 AAA Car Care Centers, or 34 Approved Auto Repair shops from October 16 through the 31.

“Improperly disposed batteries do serious harm to our environment,” said David E. Parsons, president and CEO of AAA Carolinas. “This program is a win-win for everyone including motorists, AAA, battery recycle centers and the environment at large.”

AAA encourages residents to help fight stream and ground pollution and raise awareness by recycling batteries at one of 58 convenient North Carolina locations.

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Automakers working with first responders on vehicle safety

Submitted by WBTV Web Staff

Tuesday, August 14th, 2012, 10:09am

Automakers working with first responders on vehicle safety

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV)- One of the best reasons to buy a new car are the safety improvements.

"They are just as safe as any other car," says Car Sales Manager Dominic Scruggs. "Actually in certain circumstances more safe because some of the certain compartments."

Multiple airbags, cutting edge technology and hybrid batteries are just some of the features attracting consumers to buy modern cars.

But those same safety features are complicating crash rescues for fire fighters who might have to cut you out of your car after a crash.

"A lot of the airbags have gas cylinders that actually cause the airbags to go off and if we go and cut into those then we basically create a kind of a missile with that gas cylinder," said Captain Rueben Fitzgerald of the Charlotte Fire Department.

New vehicles also have advanced steel that older tools can't cut through.

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