Safety City Seeks to Educate State Fair Attendees on Traffic Safety by
RALEIGH – “Safety City” is a highway safety “community” at the N.C. State Fair that seeks to decrease roadway injuries and fatalities by educating attendees about highway safety issues. Sponsored by the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program, Safety City has more than 100,000 people visit the attraction each year. “We set-up Safety City each year to educate our citizens on highway safety,” said Mark Ezzell, director of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program. “Once an attendee enters Safety City they will receive a passport to get stamped to become eligible for prizes by visiting interactive exhibits and hands-on demonstration areas.” Safety City is supported by representatives and volunteers from North Carolina government agencies, emergency responders, and state and local law enforcement. The Institute for Transportation Research and Education, Forensic Tests for Alcohol, Safe Kids NC, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Watch for Me NC, Be Rail Safe NC and Operation Lifesaver all exhibit during the 10-day event. Each Safety City exhibit is designed to educate and engage visitors on a variety of safety topics. One of the top attractions is the Impaired Driving Simulator, a virtual reality simulator that demonstrates the importance of not driving after drinking. Other areas of Safety City address issues such as speeding, seat belt use, child passenger safety, teen driving, distracted driving and railroad safety. Safety City complements the NC Vision Zero initiative. The immediate goal of NC Vision Zero is to cut roadway fatalities in half in the next 15 years, with a long-term target of zero deaths on North Carolina roadways. This ambitious program brings together multiple agencies and stakeholders to engineer safer roads, educate road users and enforce traffic laws. ***NCDOT***
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