Safe Travels NC

Elect Safety

The NC Division of Motor Vehicles’ annual Crash Facts report is out, and it shows a 12% drop in traffic fatalities for 2025 compared to 2024.

Not only that: The number of people injured per 100 million vehicle miles driven in North Carolina last year appears to be the state’s lowest in at least 65 years.

Even so: We lost 1,524 people on North Carolina roadways last year. 152 of them were 19 or younger.

“The decreases are really encouraging,” said NC Alliance for Safe Transportation Board Chair Tiffany Wright, who is also director of public affairs for AAA-The Auto Club Group. “Those are real people still at family dinner tables, and that means an awful lot, even as my heart goes out to the families who lost someone. Any number other than zero hurts.”

You can dig into the numbers deeper with coverage News & Observer transportation reporter, Richard Stradling. We also pulled more statistics from the report together here.

Sunday, November 15, is World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, and NCAST marks the day with events around the state.

This year we’ll gather in Asheville, Lillington, Greenville and Wilmington, but we’ve also widened the circle by reaching out to hundreds of North Carolina houses of worship with a request: Ask your congregation to pray.

 If you have a congregation with a bulletin, or any organization whose people might focus their attention this month on road safety, please consider sharing something like this:

 Ahead of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on Sunday, November 15, please pray for the families and friends of the more than 1,524 people killed in traffic crashes in North Carolina last year. And please pray that we will all show one another love and care by always being safe and responsible on the road.

 That’s the message we’ve sent to just about every place of worship in North Carolina that publishes an email address for prayer requests. We’re happy to adapt it if you have other ideas – drop us a line.