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Concerns about bridge safety in NC

Concerns about bridge safety in NC

Garland Haywood is the Bridge Manager for the North Carolina Department of Transportation. It’s his job to make sure bridges in our area are safe, secure and inspected every two years.

“You could certainly have something undermining a bridge that if you don’t have these diligent inspections you’re not going to catch,” said Haywood.

According to AAA, nearly 900,000 people across the state are expected  to hit the roads for Memorial Day weekend.  But most of us don’t think twice about the bridges we drive near until we see accidents like the one Thursday in Washington.

A truck carrying an oversized load slammed into a bridge which caused it to collapse.

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

"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."

Operation "Road Watch" ends on successful note

Operation "Road Watch" ends on successful note

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.

Catch a glimpse of the King's ride at the speedway (Elvis, not Richard Petty)

Catch a glimpse of the King's ride at the speedway (Elvis, not Richard Petty)

CONCORD - In the 1950s, the world couldn’t help falling in love with Elvis Presley and now fans can view one of The King of Rock ‘N’ Roll’s personal vehicles, a 1956 Lincoln Continental Mark II, at the April 4-7 Food Lion AutoFair at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“AutoFair has always had unique displays, but there has never been anything quite like this,” said Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. “Elvis is the world’s biggest music icon, and I know car lovers and Elvis fans alike are going to love seeing this rare automobile straight from Elvis Presley’s Graceland in Memphis.”

In August of 1956, Elvis purchased the Continental Mark II in Miami with proceeds from his recent tour. He needed a new daily driver after fans had written all over his other Lincoln with lipstick. The new car quickly became one of Elvis’ favorites, and he even drove it to New Orleans for the filming of his popular movie, “King Creole.”

I-40/I-77 interchange project met with questions for drivers, business owners

I-40/I-77 interchange project met with questions for drivers, business owners

STATESVILLE - It's one the biggest and busiest crossroads in North Carolina, and it's one of the most out of date.  The state is working on a major makeover for the I-77 and I-40 interchange in Statesville, and until that work can be completed, it will mean big changes for anyone who drives or runs a business in that area.

"I just think that it's needed, we're no longer little tiny Statesville, we are growing," said local business owner Carol Oliphant.

And going through growing pains.  For years traffic around the I-40, I-77 interchange has been a mess.  It was built in the 60's for 5000 cars a day, but now the number is more than 70,000, and expected to top 110,000 cars per day by 2035.

"It's just a congested area to begin with and getting off here it's making it more difficult because of all the congestion, construction going on," Oliphant added. She  works at a sign shop near I-77.  She thinks the completed project will be nice, but getting there will be a challenge. "I don't see how they're going to get this done by 2017 because of the setbacks and some of the things they've run into that are seen by us living here."

Cold weather and your car; debunking the myths

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?"

NC Highway fatalities up in 2012 from 2011

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.