Mecklenburg County recorded 33 pedestrian deaths in 2025, more than any other county in North Carolina.

The figure stands out against an otherwise improving picture. NC DMV data shows 1,524 people died on the state's roads in 2025, a 12% drop from 2024, WCNC Charlotte reported. Two road projects in the Lake Norman area, on West Catawba Avenue and N.C. 73, include planned pedestrian safety improvements.

"12% drop from 2024-2025 in fatalities, that's significant," Travis Fain, spokesperson for the North Carolina Alliance for Safe Transportation (NCAST), told WCNC. "That's a couple hundred more people who are at dinner tables."

The dangers remain familiar. Speeding was involved in 22% of traffic fatalities statewide. Alcohol was a factor in nearly a quarter. Not wearing a seatbelt contributed to 44%, according to the DMV data reported by WCNC.

Teen drivers at risk

Young drivers faced steep odds. There were 106 teen fatalities statewide in 2025, with speeding involved in nearly 40% of those deaths, according to the WCNC report.

NCAST runs a Teen Safe Driving Ambassador program that uses students to promote safe driving habits. WCNC reported the program was accepting applications for its 2026-2027 class, though the NCAST website now shows the 2026-2027 ambassadors have already been selected and are working.

Robert Dalton, state executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, told WCNC that the choice to drive impaired starts before anyone takes any medicine, drug or first sip of alcohol. "Stopping impaired driving in particular, having a plan to get home with a sober driver before you ever ingest anything," Dalton said.

Local road projects in the pipeline

Two infrastructure projects aim to make Lake Norman-area roads safer for pedestrians.

A $35 million widening of West Catawba Avenue from Jetton Road to Sam Furr Road is moving forward after nearly two decades of delays, the Charlotte Observer reported Oct. 7. The state plans to expand the roughly three-mile stretch from two to four lanes with a center median and 8- to 10-foot pedestrian and bicycle paths on both sides, Cornelius Deputy Town Manager Cynthia Broomfield told the town Board of Commissioners. Right-of-way acquisition took four years and is complete. Utility relocation is underway. The state expects to open construction bids in December 2027, with the project finished by 2030, Broomfield said.

Separately, the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) voted in February 2024 to allocate funding for a pedestrian bridge over N.C. 73 near Lindholm Drive in Huntersville. The total project cost was estimated at $5.1 million, with Huntersville providing 40% in matching funds, according to a town announcement at the time. The bridge is part of the N.C. Department of Transportation's N.C. 73 improvement project.