CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The U.S. Department of Transportation is investing $800 million nationwide in grants to make roads safer. 

What You Need To Know

  • The U.S. Department of Transportation is investing $800 million nationwide to make roads safer

  • Mecklenburg County is in the top 50 counties in the U.S. when it comes to traffic deaths

  • David Counter lost his wife during a crash in 2021 and is glad to see changes to infrastructure to improve safety

In 2021, the nation reached a 16-year high for traffic fatalities with 42,915 lives lost on the roads, according to the U.S. DOT.

Mecklenburg County made it on the top 50 counties in the U.S. with the highest fatalities. However, the fatality rate is low when comparing it to the population. 

Wadesboro and Walkertown in North Carolina are in the top 25 small cities for the highest fatality rates.

David Counter (Estephany Escobar/Spectrum News 1)

David Counter’s wife, Lee Strode, died in a car crash on Dec. 23, 2021 near Matthews. 

“She was stationary in traffic… and a speeding driver just slammed in the back of her car,” Counter said. 

In Counter’s perspective, larger cities like Charlotte attract more crashes but the ranking of Mecklenburg County is still somewhat surprising.

“The pace of life is so much slower that you don’t consider traffic deaths until it impacts you personally,” Counter said. 

At Strode’s celebration of life last year, Counter raised awareness about the dangers of speeding. 

He’s encouraged to see the U.S. DOT awarded Charlotte $4.4 million for upgrades to improve intersections and pedestrian safety. 

This will go toward pedestrian crossing projects, safe routes to school projects and accessible pedestrian signals and leading pedestrian interval projects. 

“Every dollar that the city is awarded is going to equate for a life saved,” Counter said. 

He said changing mindsets is the next step. In the meantime, he’s sharing Strode’s story and hoping to make a difference.

“If a family can be prevented from going through that hardship themselves, then that’s the best legacy that anyone can expect,” Counter said.

North Carolina overall received over $8 million in federal grants to help reduce traffic deaths, according to the NCDOT.

Other than Charlotte, grants will benefit Durham, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Kannapolis, Raleigh, Boiling Springs, Knightdale, Leland, Clemmons, the Land of Sky Regional Council, and Triangle J Council of Governments.