September 1, 2006
CONTACT: SID GAULDEN, 803-896-8409
SCDPS ENCOURAGES CAUTION OVER LAST SUMMER HOLIDAY
COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Department of Public Safety reminds motorists that Labor Day travel officially begins at 6 p.m. tonight and runs through midnight Monday. Troopers and other law enforcement will be conducting special enforcement throughout the state especially focusing on speed, impaired and aggressive driving. Labor Day is the last major travel holiday of the summer.
Law enforcement will be conducting public safety checkpoints and increased patrols especially in areas likely to attract heavy out-of-state and tourist travel.
There have been 650 traffic fatalities this year compared to 732 last year at the same time. Labor Day 2005, there were 16 people killed in 13 fatal collisions.
SCDPS teamed up with neighboring states for Hands Across the Border, a high visibility joint effort between South Carolina and Georgia law enforcement designed to reduce injuries and fatalities in bordering states during the Labor Day weekend. This was an integral part of the stepped-up enforcement during the Labor Day “Sober or Slammer” mobilization, which began Friday, August 18 and will run through Monday, September 4, 2006. It includes sobriety checkpoints at designated locations along South Carolina’s border.
SCDPS also is part of a nationwide effort to crack down on impaired driving collisions. New data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows an average of 205 people died in crashes involving a driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher each Labor Day weekend since 1996.
The Highway Patrol is teaming up with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to launch an aerial enforcement campaign this weekend on U.S. 17 in the Garden’s Corner area to encourage safe driving as the last blast of beach traffic passes through that area. The violations contributing to crashes in that area include: changing lanes improperly, driving left of center, following too closely and reckless driving.
Last year, the Highway Patrol began an enforcement campaign on U.S. 17 after a sharp spike in fatalities. Since then, the Highway Patrol has continued random enforcement efforts and fatalities have decreased sharply since that initiative began. This is the third aerial enforcement campaign in conjunction with SCDNR this year. There have also been special enforcement initiatives in Aiken and Orangeburg counties.
The Highway Patrol will also be
at Welcome Centers/Rest Areas in some areas accompanied by the Families of
Highway Fatalities representatives.
Coinciding with the national launch of the crackdown, NHTSA released new 2005 statistics. State-by-state statistics for alcohol-related fatalities were also released and can be found online at: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/RNotes/2006/810644.pdf.
Please contact your local Community Relations Officer for media opportunities during the Labor Day weekend at 803-896-8144.