Latest news with #HighwaySafetyProgram
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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.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
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Turnpike employees pay tribute to James Harper, the worker who was killed in I-77 accident
CRAB ORCHARD, WV (WVNS) – Employees of the West Virginia Parkways Authority took time out of their day to say their final goodbye to a beloved coworker who was recently killed. Beckley man identified as worker killed on I-77, one man arrested and charged April 14 was supposed to be a regular day for James Harper. Go to work, fill potholes, and end the day at home with his wife and newborn baby. Instead, his newborn baby will go her entire life without a father, his wife is now a widow, and his family no longer has their beloved son and brother due to a driver allegedly looking down while navigating a work zone. Harper's fellow coworkers with the West Virginia Parkways Authority striped the Lester Square Shopping Center parking lot to say their final goodbyes as Harper's funeral procession passed. 'He was a real good guy. [He] loved his family, just had a newborn baby, I mean – he thought the world of her,' said Eric Brewer, one of his coworkers. His coworkers Eric Brewer and Brian Barnabi remember exactly where they were when the news broke. 'I just happened to be on the roller ahead of him. I moved out of the way of the tractor trailer myself. [It was] traumatic. I mean, it was just disbelief,' said Barnabi. Brewer was not at the same section as Harper and Barnabi, but he was just up the road from the accident. 'The second thing came across the radio and said that they was doing CPR on him. It just floored me. I was asking who it was. The guys who were at the scene, they told me and that slammed me,' said Brewer. The message that Harper's mother wishes to send to everyone driving the roadways is, 'Slow down for them now, or slow down for them later. The cost of his life was way too high!' 'I am going to miss you, brother. Prayers for your family,' said Brewer. 'Fly high brother. Fly high,' added Barnabi. When you go to drive, please put the phone down. These workers and their families are depending on you. Governor's Highway Safety Program encourages drivers to drive safely during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month You can find Harper's obituary here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Yahoo
‘Booze it and Lose it' campaign underway across North Carolina
NORTH CAROLINA (WGHP) — As we approach St. Patrick's Day, law enforcement across the state is reminding motorists not to drink and drive. On Monday, Governor Josh Stein's Highway Safety Program launched the St. Patrick's Day 'Booze It and Lose It' enforcement campaign, aiming to keep impaired drivers off the road ahead of the holiday. According to a press release from the N.C. Department of Transportation, now through March 17, drivers can expect an increase in the number of patrols and driver checkpoints by law enforcement across the state. Senate bill introduced to increase car inspection fees in North Carolina 'Embracing fun traditions is one thing; engaging in the deadly behavior that is drinking and driving is another. Getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol puts lives at risk,' said Colonel Freddy L. Johnson, Jr., commander of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. 'As law enforcement officers, we witness firsthand the devastation and loss caused by alcohol-impaired driving, along with the lasting pain it inflicts on families, friends, and entire communities. Drinking and driving is not an option, but making sure someone sober will be behind the wheel is.' Law enforcement issued 784 DWI charges during last year's campaign. Of those charges, 71 were issued to drivers under the legal drinking age. 'The consequences of driving while impaired are life-altering,' said NCGHSP Director Mark Ezzell. 'Alcohol clouds a person's judgement, and anyone planning to drink should always prepare by planning for a sober ride home.' 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.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Hundreds of police departments across Pennsylvania to target aggressive drivers
(WTAJ) — Local police departments along with state police will target aggressive drivers all across Pennsylvania, saying anyone pulled over for such will receive a ticket. The aggressive driving enforcement wave will comprise of Pennsylvania State Police and roughly 300 local departments across the Commonwealth. The enforcement will take place from March 17 to April 27. Law enforcement will be targeting drivers who are not only speeding but tailgating, weaving, improperly passing and running red lights and stop signs. They will also focus on distracted driving and those speeding in work zones. Police said the goal of the enforcement is to reduce the number of aggressive driving crashes, injuries and enforcement is part of Pennsylvania's Highway Safety Program which is funded by part of PennDOT's federal funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
