Latest news with #GHSP
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
North Carolina launches campaign to enforce Move Over Law
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCT) — The N.C. Governor's Highway Safety Program and local law enforcement are launching a statewide enforcement campaign to remind drives of the Move Over Law. The enforcement campaign will be in place from May 12-18, 2025. The North Carolina Move Over Law requires drivers to move over a lane or slow down when they are approaching an emergency vehicle stopped on the side of the road. It protects law enforcement officers, emergency services workers, and people working along the roadside with the N.C. Department of Transportation. 'Our emergency transportation and utility responders put themselves in harm's way each day to keep our roads safe,' GHSP Director Mark Ezzell said. 'The Move Over Law is not just a suggestion; it's the law, and a crucial component to ensure the safety of these responders and others. This campaign is a vital step in educating drivers and fostering a culture of safety on North Carolina roadways.' If you violate the Move Over Law, you could receive a $250 fine and misdemeanor or felony charges, if someone is injured or property is damaged. 'Slowing down and moving over is a simple way to help protect law enforcement, first responders, and others who work on the roads at all hours of the day,' Commander of the N.C. State Highway Patrol, Colonel Freddy Johnson Jr. said. 'These emergency personnel work in dangerous situations all the time, but drivers really increase that risk for them when they ignore the flashing lights and don't comply with the law.' For more information on the Move Over Law, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
West Virginia Governor's Highway Safety Program reminds people to drive safe during Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month
CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — The West Virginia Governor's Highway Safety Program encouraged motorcycle safety as May kicks off Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. According to a press release, the West Virginia Governor's Highway Safety Program (GHSP) partnered with the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to encourage drivers that 'Motorcyclists' Safety Is Everyone's Safety.' REAL-ID will be required for West Virginia residents to board flights The press release from the West Virginia Governor's Highway Safety Program stated that safe driving and riding practices, as well as informing other drivers, can help decrease the amount of motorcyclist deaths on roads in the Mountain State. Motorcyclists should always be aware of their surroundings. It is imperative that you have the correct license to ride a motorcycle in West Virginia. Always wear your DOT-compliant helmet. Make sure you dress for the slide, not just for the ride. Motorists need to look out for motorcycles since they are small and harder to see. Since it is grass cutting season, please do not blow grass clippings onto the roads and streets because it is dangerous for motorcyclists. Driving on grass clippings is very slick, like driving on ice. Mary Jarrell | GHSP Motorcycle Safety Training Coordinator NHTSA data included in the press release stated that 15 percent of the total highway deaths in 2022 were 6,218 motorcyclists who died in traffic accidents. 33 percent of the total number of motorcyclist deaths in 2022 were related to speeding, and 51 percent of the deaths were from motorcyclists who were 21 to 24 years old. According to the data, drug/alcohol impairment was also a part of fatalities in motorcycle related accidents, and in 2022, 42 percent of motorcyclists who died in single-vehicle accidents were impaired by drugs or alcohol. Governor Morrisey signs bills banning cell phones in classrooms and requiring U.S. Motto displayed in schools The West Virginia Governor's Highway Safety Program advised that DOT-compliant motorcycle helmets can help lessen injuries and save lives. The press release stated that the use of motorcycle helmets went from 64.9 percent in 2021 to 66.5 percent in 2022, and that data from the NHTSA estimated that in 2017, helmets saved the lives of around 1,872 motorcyclists, and if all motorcyclists worn DOT-compliant helmets, an additional 749 lives could have been saved. According to the press release from the West Virginia Governor's Highway Safety Program, motorcyclists can finish rider education courses and keep a current motorcycle license, ride and drive defensively and not ride when distracted or impaired, and follow the speed limit and traffic laws and use personal protective gear and a DOT-compliant helmet with a 'FMVSS No. 218 Certified' label. Drivers are encouraged to use turn signals when merging or changing lanes, leave more following distance to move or stop in an emergency, do not drive while impaired by drugs or alcohol, follow the speed limit, check all mirrors and blind spots before merging or changing lanes, and drive defensively. The press release stated that despite motorcycles being small vehicles, motorcyclists have the same rights as any other driver when on the road and enough room should be left for them on a lane, and their smaller size can make them harder to see, which can make it possible to misjudge distance and speed. Drivers are also encouraged to avoid distractions that could place other people at risk, and to yield to motorcyclists, especially at intersections. Additional information about the West Virginia Governor's Highway Safety Program can be found on their website or by calling 304-926-2509, and motorcycle safety information can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
GHSP encourages families to 'Stop, Look, and Lock' to prevent car heatstroke deaths
CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — Heatstroke Prevention Day is May 1, 2025, and the Governor's Highway Safety Program (GHSP) is urging West Virginians to stop and look before they lock. According to a press release, vehicular heatstroke is the leading cause of non-collision vehicle-related death in children 14 years of age and younger in the nation. GHSP is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to encourage parents and guardians to educate themselves and share about the dangers of leaving kids in cars as the temperatures begin to warm up: Once You Park, Stop, Look, Lock. In the time since safety advocates began tracking data in 1998, heatstroke has been the cause of death for more than 1,000 children, the release stated. According to recent data, one child dies from heatstroke every 10 days in the nation from crawling into an unlocked vehicle or from being left in a vehicle. These deaths are all preventable. Federal cuts to AmeriCorps impact rural West Virginians Temperatures inside vehicles can become up to 50 degrees higher than those outside, the release detailed. Cool days could even pose a risk to children, as their body temperatures increase at a rate three to five times faster than an adult's body. 39 children died due to vehicular heatstroke in 2024, an increase from the 29 children that died from vehicular heatstroke the previous year. Although a decrease in the rate of heatstroke death decreased in 2020, it has steadily increased in time time since. Averages show that 37 children die yearly due to vehicular heatstroke. May marks the start of Motorcycle Safety Month Smaller children, such as toddlers, are also at risk for vehicular heatstroke due to them being more likely to climb into unlocked vehicles unsupervised. Nearly a quarter of hot car deaths result from children 'gaining access' to a vehicle, the release stated. It is important to teach children that a vehicle is not something to play in, and to play in or around one is a dangerous thing to do. Parents and caregivers think this sort of tragedy could never happen to them. Sadly, 'never' does happen. Anyone is susceptible to forgetfulness. It doesn't matter who is taking care of the child, what their background is, or where they come from: Routines are often upended. It is during these moments of hurriedness and change in routine that many of these tragedies occur. Once You Park, Stop, Look, Lock. Jack McNeely | Director, Governor's Highway Safety Program Annual Rhododendron Festival begins in May NHTSA encourages caregivers and parents to take these three simple precautions to prevent vehicular heatstroke deaths: When getting out of a car, check the entire vehicle every time. Never leaave a child unattended inside of a vehicle, not even for a minute. Always lock the vehicle and keep the keys where children cannot reach them. For more information regarding vehicular heatstroke and steps to take if you see a child trapped in a car, as well as warning signs of heatstroke, visit the NHTSA website. To access current data regarding heatstroke, visit For more information regarding the Governor's Highway Safety Program, visit their website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Click It or Ticket campaign will begin soon throughout West Virginia
CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — The West Virginia Governor's Highway Safety Program (GHSP) is planning a statewide Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort throughout the month of March. According to a press release, the campaign is one of the GHSP's year-long efforts to raise the usage of seat belts in the Mountain State, and serves as a prelude to the national campaign taking place in May. The statewide campaign will begin on March 7, 2025 and end on March 25, 2025. In 2022, an estimated 49 percent of all passenger vehicle occupants that were killed in crashes in the state were not wearing a seat belt. To lower the risk, enforcing seat belt laws must happen day and night. Carnegie Hall preparing for St. Patrick's Day with high-energy Tartan Terrors Our seat belt usage decreased to 91.9 percent in 2024 from 93 percent in 2023. While we are displeased with this decrease, we will keep working until every person in every vehicle is correctly buckled up. A seat belt is your best protection against death or injury should you be in a vehicle crash. Jack McNeely | Director, Governor's Highway Safety Program Residents in rural areas may think their crash risk is lower, but in 2022, 66 percent of total vehicle deaths in West Virginia occurred in rural areas, compared to 34 percent in urban areas, the release noted. Officers across West Virginia will be on patrol, writing tickets to violators caught without using a seat belt or transporting children that are not restrained properly. The statewide effort is aimed at implementing seat belt use to keep all travelers safe. The reality is: seat belts save lives. Click It or Ticket isn't about citations; it's about saving lives. Not buckling up is not worth the risk. Jack McNeely | Director, Governor's Highway Safety Program 'Life in America: Through the Decades' pop art shows opens March 7 in Beckley Using your seat belt is required by law. Do not buckle up simply to avoid a ticket. The lives of our friends and families are priceless, infinitely greater than the $25 that violators will pay. If caught driving while unbuckled and you get a ticket, view it as a wakeup call, the release stated. For more information regarding the West Virginia Governor's Highway Safety Program, call 304-926-2509, or visit their website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
West Virginia law enforcement will be targeting this traffic violation starting Friday
CHARLESTON, (WBOY) — From March 7-25, drivers in West Virginia are more likely to get pulled over and cited for a certain violation. The West Virginia Governor's Highway Safety Program's (GHSP) 'Click It or Ticket' mobilization is set to take place on those days. This means that law enforcement 'will be out in full force' across West Virginia, and anyone caught without a seatbelt or transporting an improperly restrained child will be ticketed, according to a press release. In West Virginia, anyone sitting in the front seat is required to wear a seatbelt, and anyone under the age of 18 is required to wear a seatbelt no matter where they are seated in a vehicle. Click It or Ticket is meant to help reduce injuries and fatalities from crashes in the state. According to the GHSP, half of passengers killed in vehicle accidents in West Virginia in 2022 were not wearing seatbelts, with most of them occurring in rural locations. 'My dreams were crushed in one email': WVU student has offer rescinded due to federal cuts 'The reality is: seat belts save lives,' GHSP Director Jack McNeely said in the release. 'Click It or Ticket isn't about citations; it's about saving lives. Not buckling up is not worth the risk.' A similar Click It or Ticket mobilization at the national level will take place in May. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
