RALEIGH (WTVD) The COVID-19 pandemic may be keeping more people off the road, but alcohol, speed and distracted driving remain endemic to American society.
Statistically, the days before and after Christmas are more dangerous for North Carolina drivers than any other holiday weekend except for Thanksgiving. According to the NC Department of Transportation, the five year average of 1,927 crashes lead to a yearly average of 10 deaths and more than 900 injuries.
So far in 2020, a head-on collision in Johnston County Friday night killed two, including a 78-year-old man. Across the country, the National Safety Council estimates that 340 people may be killed on the roadways during the Christmas holiday driving period.