First of three articles on N.C. traffic laws

Local officials in the Lake Norman area and around the country are trying to educate drivers about the risks of distracted driving, especially texting or talking while driving. Glancing at your mobile phone for just a few seconds at 55 miles per hour is the equivalent of driving the length of a football field while blindfolded, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Distraction.gov website. In a recent survey of Davidson residents, pedestrians and cyclists identified distracted driving as the biggest safety risk they face.

Distracted driving has become a such a significant public safety concern that 39 states have now outlawed texting while driving. Ten states and the District of Columbia have also banned the handheld use of mobile phones for calls while driving. Read the full story

Davidson’s Town Board voted 5-0 on Tuesday to approve the $9.1 million 2013-14 town budget, which leaves the property tax rate and other fees unchanged and includes money for capital improvements, new equipment and equipment maintenance. And they discussed several development issues: The proposed Davidson Green School, expansion plans at Davidson Day School and a Florida developer’s plans for a big residential development off NC 73. Read the full story

Updated June 13, 2013
Presbyterian Road just north of Davidson has closed while workers replace a bridge over the West Branch Rocky River in a project the N.C. Department of Transportation says could last until Sept. 8. Read the full story

Davidson Police Chief Jeanne Miller will give a presentation for teens and parents on the dangers of teen drinking and distracted driving on Wednesday, May 29. The presentation runs 7 to 8:30pm at Davidson town hall and is free to all citizens. Read the full story

Updated 4:32pm
A 16-year-old Hough High School student was struck by a pickup truck on Davidson-Concord Road Friday morning as he skateboarded near the entrance to the River Run and Bradford neighborhoods.  Emergency officials on the scene said he was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte with life-threatening injuries.
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State Rep. Robert Brawley (R-Mooresville) resigned as chair of the House Finance Committee Wednesday saying he disagrees with decisions of the Republican-led legislature and accusing House Speaker Thom Tillis (R-Cornelius) of mistreating him. The dispute with Tillis stems in part from disagreement over Brawley’s bill to ease restrictions on the locally-owned MI-Connection cable system.

Brawley and Tillis also have bumped heads over the issue of highway tolls. On May 5, he came out publicly against the N.C. DOT’s plan to widen I-77 north of Charlotte using high occupancy toll lanes, or HOT lanes. Tillis supports the idea. Read the full story

The Mecklenburg Union Metropolitan Planning Organization voted unanimously Wednesday night to add the N.C. DOT’s proposed I-77 widening project to the region’s long-range transportation plan and priority list. The vote was uneventful, but the meeting wasn’t, as toll opponents packed a meeting room in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center continuing their fight against the widening project. Read the full story

More than 750 people responded to the Town of Davidson’s recent online survey seeking feedback on conditions for biking and walking in town. Davidson officials say those responses are part of the mix as consultants and officials drafted the proposed Pedestrian Master Plan, which will be presented at a joint meeting of the Davidson Planning Board and Davidson Livability Board Tuesday, May 21. Read the full story