The North Carolina State Highway Patrol's primary mission is to reduce collisions and make the highways of North Carolina as safe as possible.
Since 1929 the mission of the Highway Patrol has not changed. From a handful of Highway Patrolmen in 1929 the Highway Patrol now employs 1,813 Troopers to cover more than 78,000 miles of North Carolina roadways.
In 2008, the State Highway Patrol arrested 23,199 people for driving while impaired, seized $10 million worth of drugs, and investigated 1,081 fatalities on North Carolina highways. The Motor Carrier unit fined thousands of truck drivers for various violations.
Troopers and Motor Carrier Enforcement officers also guide traffic during hurricane evacuations or re-route traffic around hazardous chemical spills. The Patrol stands ready, should any act of terrorism occur, to carry out the directives of the Governor.
The Highway Patrol has eight troop locations throughout the state. Located at each Troop is a Traffic Safety Information officer. These officers promote highway safety and provide presentations to schools, civic groups, or any other interested parties.
The Highway Patrol continues to promote highway safety through education and enforcement. The Highway Patrol has safety programs for bicycles, seat belts and school buses and its popular Buckle-in-Baby-Safely Program.
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