Distracted Driving Proves Deadly In North Carolina, Officials Suggest Tighter Enforcement

The Governor's Highway Safety Program recently announced a crackdown on impaired driving ahead of the July 4th holiday.

But what about the state's distracted drivers?

So far this year, there have been an estimated 66 fatal crashes in North Carolina directly attributed to distracted driving—motorists texting or emailing while behind the wheel. But Governors Highway Safety Program Director Mark Ezzell says that the problem may be even more widespread.

"I suspect that number is low," Ezzell says. "It's often hard to tell exactly what the actual cause of the accident is. Was it caused by a lane departure? Or, if the accident occurred at an intersection, it may have been written down more as having been caused by a lane departure, and not by being distracted."

In 2016, distracted driving in the U.S. claimed 3,450 lives according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And Ezzell says it's a problem that needs to a hard look in North Carolina.

"The fact is, most people are sensible enough to not do that, he says. But we need to be tougher on those that are, and we need to develop and fund enforcement efforts that are geared toward that and education efforts as well."

According to the United States Department of Transportation, driving accidents occur at a rate 23 times higher than normal while texting. North Carolina law prohibits the practice for all motorists. Most face a $100 fine. Texting violations won't add demerit points to a motorist's driving record.