FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 6, 2007
CONTACT: Community Relations’
Officer for your Troop, 803-896-8144
HIGHWAY FATALITIES RISING STATEWIDE; SCHP BEGINS SPRING BREAK/EASTER ENFORCEMENT
COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Highway Patrol will increase enforcement activity especially on heavy travel arteries beginning this weekend to help prevent collisions caused by increased congestion due to spring break travel and Easter weekend. In the past week, there have been fatal collisions involving pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists. The fatality rate, which is 16 ahead of last year, is escalating going into the Spring/Summer travel season with 233 killed compared to 217 in 2006.
Most fatalities involve motor vehicles. Increasingly, however, the Highway Patrol is investigating more and more pedestrian, motorcycle and bicycle collisions. For example:
n 26 pedestrian deaths this year compared to 21 last year;
n three bicyclists killed in 2007 vs. 0 in 2006;
n 17 motorcyclist deaths this year compared to 17 last year.
“As the weather begins warming up, people are outdoors more especially using recreational modes of transportation and going places on foot,” said Highway Patrol Col. Russell Roark. “We also see speed and careless driving pick up this time of the year as people are out “cruising” and enjoying the Spring weather. This often results in inattention collisions.”
The Highway Patrol again is sending an advisory to motorists to be extra vigilant about this additional traffic – both on the roadway and off. Children and other pedestrians can easily dart into traffic or misjudge the speed of vehicles when crossing the roadway. An elderly man was struck and killed in Orangeburg this week after his vehicle broke down on I-26 and he crossed the interstate. The Highway Patrol recommends that when motorists break down or have a minor collision, they should get as far off the roadway as possible, raise their hoods to signal for help and call *HP. The safest place for them will typically be in their vehicles until help arrives. Motorists should not begin walking toward a service station or attempt to cross lanes of traffic especially on interstates or multi-lane roadways.
To combat the fatality rate, Highway Patrol Troops throughout the state will be using the ACE Team Motorcycle Units to assist with traffic enforcement during this time. LIDAR (stationery radar) will also be heavily used to slow traffic down on major thoroughfares. LIDAR is a handheld radar unit that troopers point toward traffic to gauge speed. LIDAR is especially useful on interstates where median cable barriers and concrete median barriers are in use. Motorists might see troopers running LIDAR from overpasses or standing outside their vehicles. Public safety checkpoints will also be conducted by the Highway Patrol and local law enforcement.
Spring break travel often results in speed violations, inattention and fatigue from pushing too hard to reach a destination without taking proper rest breaks. The Highway Patrol will especially be concentrating additional enforcement on routes throughout the state that feed toward the coastal areas – especially the interstate systems, US 501, US 378 etc.
The Highway Patrol is issuing a flier (see attached) to businesses, churches and rest areas/welcome centers to warn motorists of this dangerous driving season.
--30--