With the beginning of prom season, North Carolina the Highway Patrol will conduct Operation “Drive to Live” during the week of April 09. The operation will be conducted from 6 a.m. through 5 p.m. each day. The operation is an initiative by the Highway Patrol to reduce the number of teenage related traffic collisions and deaths. According to National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, young drivers, ages 15- to 20-years old, are more vulnerable to death and injury on our roadways – traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in America and North Carolina. Mile for mile, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers. One area that is particularly concerning is distracted driving. In 2009, 5,474 people were killed in crashes involving driver distraction, and an estimated 448,000 were injured. “Our goal is to educate teenage drivers on the dangers of driving irresponsibly,” said Col. Gilchrist. Troopers will be enforcing all traffic laws around the state’s schools and conducting traffic safety education programs at the high schools prior to the school year ending.