Currituck officials and citizens are wrestling with how to make beach driving safe for motorists and pedestrians along the 11-mile stretch north of Corolla.

The priority of safety for everyone while allowing continued beach access for motorists will require new rules to designate driving and no-driving areas on the beach.

The days of open, free-range driving on Currituck’s northern Outer Banks are coming to a close. That won’t mean an end to beach driving, however. Far from it. What’s possible, if officials focus on the right priorities, is an opportunity for more residents and visitors to enjoy the beach, but more safely.

Recent discussions among county commissioners and the work of the county’s Beach Driving Committee have been directed at the 11-mile stretch of beach north of Corolla to the state line, where four-wheel traffic is allowed virtually unlimited access.

The off-road tract is a prime destination for locals and tourists to enjoy oceanside driving, the sight of Currituck’s wild horses or a trip to the water’s edge to spend the day. The experience is one of many that make Currituck such a popular tourism destination.

It’s that popularity, however, which has led to the concerns now being addressed by the county’s citizens, officials and businesses. The increase in beach traffic poses serious concerns about safety for pedestrians as well as other beach traffic.

Last month, county commissioners asked the appointed Beach Driving Committee to study the matter, including a recommendation that permits be issued to regulate and limit beach driving. The permit idea was and is a non-starter. But the larger issue of bringing more sanity to beach driving has generated helpful discussion and some better ideas.

As for the permit plan, limiting who drives on the beach is wrong for so many reasons, beginning with the new bureaucracy it would require to implement, manage and enforce. Even worse is the damage that it would do to the county’s reputation for friendliness and accommodation. Business people have reacted negatively for good reason.

Many feel, justifiably, that the permit system would penalize the 2,000 day-trippers who visit the northern banks for beach driving. These folks spend money, and many are from nearby communities.

It’s not in Currituck’s interest to alienate these visitors; besides, the county has better alternatives.

The county’s chief focus has to be safety. The next goal is to offer as much access as possible once safety conditions have been created. Also, officials and citizens should be looking at the future with the objective of establishing laws and habits that will work as the beach becomes even more crowded.

The current situation is the result of growth — something that most agree is good for the county. But the county must also manage the effects of future growth on beach access and safety. They must consider that a mid-county bridge may double or triple the number of off-road vehicles spewing onto Currituck’s northern beaches. Now is the time to establish the rules of the road for beach driving that is also safe for others.

The county may want to study the experience of other communities with similar conditions. Understanding actions taken elsewhere and what results were achieved could be helpful.

One example is Daytona Beach, Fla., where public beach driving has been popular since the 1940s. Daytona. has considerably more traffic on its beaches than Currituck, but it has managed to allow both pedestrians and vehicles to coexist under safe conditions by creating driving and no-driving zones.

Similarly, Currituck County Sheriff Susan Johnson, who also is opposed to a beach driving permit system, offered a reasonable recommendation.

“I have been saying for years we have a public safety issue at the beach,” said Johnson. She said changing the traffic pattern on the beach road will make the beach safer.

She pointed out how traffic currently weaves around pedestrians — an accident just waiting to happen — near the shoreline. Johnson recommends routing traffic behind the beach-goers and their parked cars. The resulting dune line traffic strategy accomplishes several important objectives: First and foremost, it improves safety, which is a priority. Secondly, it doesn’t put limits on the number of people who want to drive on the beach. And, thirdly, it creates a predictable and manageable traffic pattern for the future.

Some have raised the concern about vehicles being stuck in the softer, deeper sand found closer to the dune line. Yet, driving on the beach has always been a choice that comes with some risks. Being stuck typically is not a life or death matter. And as is usually the case, accommodating motorists can lend a hand when an unprepared off-roader gets stuck.

Surely, the inconvenience of getting stuck that motorists knowingly risk when driving on the beach pales in comparison to the county’s obligation for public safety. That obligation should guide officials’ actions on beach driving.