RALEIGH – The following are highlights from this week at the N.C. Department of Transportation. The stories below are also featured in NCDOT Now, the department’s weekly newscast.
Booze It and Lose It
This week through Jan. 2, law enforcement officers are stepping up patrols across the state to stop impaired drivers as part of the Booze It and Lose It effort.
This is the largest campaign run each year by every year the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program.
The program is reminding travelers to stay safe on the roads this holiday season.
- Never drive impaired and always find a safe ride home
- Buckle your seatbelt when riding in any seat in the vehicle
- Follow the speed limit.
Follow the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program on social media to get more safe driving tips.
Navigating an All-Way Stop
An all-way stop is an effective and cost-efficient way to improve the safety of an intersection and reduce the risk of serious crashes.
Converting intersections into all-way stops has been shown to reduce deaths and injuries by 77 percent, according to NCDOT data.
Here are some good things to remember at an all-way stop:
- The first vehicle at the intersection has the right of way;
- When two or more vehicles reach an intersection at the same time, the vehicle to the right has the right of way and may go straight or, if legal and after signaling, turn left or right;
- When two facing vehicles approach an intersection simultaneously, both drivers can move straight ahead or turn right. If one driver is going straight while the other wants to turn left, the driver who wants to turn left must yield: and
- Even with the right of way, drivers should remember to use appropriate turn signals and watch for pedestrians and other vehicles.
New DMV Employees
Earlier this week, DMV welcomed 43 new driver license examiners to their ranks as part of a biannual graduation ceremony that took place at the DMV headquarters. These employees undergo a five-week training program and then will be deployed throughout the state to increase service levels at driver license offices. This class is in addition to 52 employees that graduated in June.
Like many industries, DMV has faced a staffing shortage that has affected service levels.
For more information about NCDOT Now, contact the NCDOT Communications Office at (919) 707-2660. Additional news stories from throughout the week can be found on NCDOT.gov.
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