FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 31, 2001
CONTACT: SID GAULDEN, 803-896-8755

DPS STEPS UP ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS TO ENSURE
SAFE TRAVEL DURING LABOR DAY HOLIDAY

COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Department of Public Safety today announced that its officers will be out in full force over the upcoming Labor Day weekend, stepping up their enforcement efforts in an attempt to prevent collisions and the associated fatalities and injuries.

"The Labor Day holiday weekend has historically been one of the busiest travel times on our roads," said DPS Director Boykin Rose. "The South Carolina Highway Patrol and State Transport Police will aggressively enforce all motor vehicle laws in an effort to ensure that these end-of-summer travelers reach their destinations safely."

During the Labor Day 2000 holiday period, nine people died in traffic collisions across the state. Last year 1,063 people were killed in traffic collisions in South Carolina and more than 1,000 have died in traffic collisions statewide each of the past three years. So far this year, 637 people have died in traffic collisions in South Carolina, compared to 705 at this same time last year.

Both the South Carolina Highway Patrol and the State Transport Police are making a concerted effort to reduce the number of traffic fatalities. They are concentrating their enforcement efforts in those areas where there are a high number of traffic crashes, focusing on violations that are the leading cause of traffic fatalities. Officers from both of these DPS law enforcement divisions will be out in full force during the upcoming Labor Day weekend, conducting public safety checkpoints and strictly enforcing all traffic laws.

"As we wrap up the ‘100 deadly days of summer,’ we want to call the high fatality rate to the public’s attention in the hope that people will realize the importance of driving defensively and obeying all traffic laws," said Rose. "It’s going to take each of us doing the responsible thing on our highways to turn this deadly trend around."

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JB/117/01

Editor’s Notes: The date, time and location for scheduled major public safety checkpoints conducted by the Highway Patrol is available online at www.scdps.org. Also, the USC football pre-game and post-game traffic flow maps are available online at the same address.

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