By CBS 17 Digital Desk | January 11, 2021 at 4:22 PM EST – Updated January 11 at 4:22 PM
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A new report shows improvements are needed to make roads in North Carolina safer.
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety assigned each U.S. state a green, yellow or red rating based on optimal safety laws in the respective state.
North Carolina received a “yellow” rating from the group. The yellow rating means that the “state needs improvement because of gaps in Advocates’ recommended optimal laws.”.
According to the report, North Carolina saw 1,373 traffic fatalities in 2019 and 13,464 over a 10-year period. In total, the report says that the annual economic impact from motor vehicle crashes amounts to $7.9 billion in the state.
The group is pushing for North Carolina lawmakers to implement six highway safety laws including increasing the minimum driving age with a permit to 16 and raising the age for unrestricted drivers to 18.
Read the full report here.
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