Editorials - 08/31/00

Drive safely during Labor Day weekend

Our state Highway Patrol is planning to do its part to ensure a safer weekend for everyone, but troopers can't do it alone. All drivers need to cooperate and be aware of the potential for increased danger during holiday driving.

State troopers will be out in force this weekend, and their primary focus will be to strictly enforce traffic laws - especially on North Carolina's most dangerous highways.

Highway officials have identified the corridors that have had the most crashes during Labor Day holiday periods for the past five years and will be concentrating their efforts on those roads.

"Our goal is to reduce the number of crashes," said David Kelly, secretary of the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, which oversees the Highway Patrol. "We are working to put our resources where the needs are, and history tells us that these roads are especially dangerous during the Labor Day holiday."

We appreciate these efforts and urge everyone to be extra careful when driving this weekend. Though there are no local roads on the Highway Patrol's list of dangerous highways, Labor Day is traditionally a busy time in Jackson County. Area tourist destinations remain open, and Western Carolina University students have returned to the mountains. We all need to be cautious and drive defensively every time we travel - especially during the Labor Day holiday.

For those who plan to travel outside Jackson County, be aware that targeted roads include I-40 in Forsyth, Guilford, Durham and Wake counties; I-440 in Wake; I-85 in Mecklenburg, Guilford and Durham counties; U.S. 17 in Onslow County; N.C. 12 in Dare County; and U.S. 321 in Wautauga County.

The Highway Patrol wants to make our state's highways as safe as possible for citizens and visitors. We applaud their efforts and echo this advice from Col. Richard Holden, commander of the state patrol: "Getting to your destination safely should be your only goal; don't try to cut a few minutes off your travel time by speeding or driving aggressively."

It's just not worth it.

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