FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 15, 2000

CONTACT: SID GAULDEN, 803-896-8755

COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Department of Public Safety today welcomed traffic safety officers and highway safety officials from across South Carolina to a conference in Myrtle Beach to share ideas and enforcement concepts in an effort to reduce the state’s soaring fatality rate. Preliminary figures indicate that 1,064 people died in traffic crashes on South Carolina’s roads in 1999.

The conference will highlight successful traffic safety programs and provide a platform for information sharing among the more than 200 participants. It runs today through Friday, March 17, at the Ocean Dunes/Sand Dunes Resort and Conference Center.

"Sadly, South Carolina’s traffic fatality rate is one of the highest in the nation," said DPS Director B. Boykin Rose. "We must take a proactive approach in our efforts to reduce the number of traffic crashes, fatalities and injuries. I am pleased that our agency is able to sponsor an event such as this conference where we can come together and share information that will help us achieve our common goal of improving highway safety."

The conference is an outgrowth of the Traffic Safety Officer (TSO) program at DPS’ Criminal Justice Academy. The TSO program provides a professional training track designed to enhance knowledge, skills, and performance for all law enforcement officers whose primary responsibility is traffic enforcement. It tracks individual traffic safety officers from their initial training through actual field performance.

In order to receive TSO certification, an officer must successfully complete 297 hours of specialized training in collision investigation and traffic enforcement at CJA. These courses will provide traffic law enforcement officers the skills necessary to effectively enforce the state’s traffic laws and subsequently experience a reduction in traffic fatalities and injuries in their jurisdictions.

-- 30 --

JB/38/2000

Back