(EDITORS: Note, I have included an audio clip on this topic.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 29, 2008

CONTACT: SID GAULDEN, 803-896-8409

Or your local CRO, 803-896-8144

 HIGHWAY DEATHS DOWN MORE THAN HALF SINCE SOBER OR SLAMMER KICKOFF;

SCDPS ENCOURAGES EXTRA CAUTION DURING LAST LONG SUMMER WEEKEND

COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Department of Public Safety reports that fatalities have dropped 57 percent since the beginning of the Sober or Slammer!  campaign on August 15. The official Labor Day travel holiday begins today at 6 p.m. and runs through midnight Monday. Nine lives were lost last year during the 2007 Labor Day weekend. Four of those were alcohol related.

SCDPS cautions motorists that law enforcement will be joining them on the roadways in larger than usual numbers to help keep those collision and fatality numbers low. Through Sunday night, the Highway Patrol alone had made 359 DUI arrests, which is 51 more arrests than this time last year. From January 1^st, through the end of July, the South Carolina Highway Patrol had made 6,451 DUI cases across the state. In the first seven months of 2007, the Patrol had made 5,325 DUI cases.

More than 160 law enforcement agencies statewide are still actively conducting the Sober or Slammer! campaign enforcement against impaired driving. The official period began August 15 and will run through September 1. The enforcement campaign is coupled with a heavy multimedia presence.

During the first 12 days of the SOS campaign, fatalities have dropped from 37 (in 2007) to 16 deaths this year. Total collisions for that time period have also dropped from 2,826 in 2007 to 2,434 in 2008.

“We have tackled the DUI problem from every angle from our Highways or Dieways commercials on television and radio to heavy enforcement in all areas of the state,” said SCDPS Director Mark Keel. “I think the numbers clearly show that people are aware and they are listening. We have received positive feedback from those grateful to see a police presence in their neighborhoods.”

Law enforcement relies heavily on historical data to help steer enforcement resources to the hardest hit areas of the states. The Highway Patrol tripled manpower in the hardest hit areas of the state including Berkeley, Lexington and Florence counties.

Sober or Slammer! efforts throughout South Carolina mirror those of law enforcement and highway safety agencies in each state across the nation. The national “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” mobilization, organized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), is a comprehensive impaired driving prevention program that focuses on combining high-visibility enforcement with heightened public awareness through advertising and publicity.

Neighboring states have joined Hands Across the Border, a high visibility joint effort between South Carolina and Georgia law enforcement designed to reduce injuries and fatalities in across borders.  Today, (August 29, 2008) Highway Patrol troopers, State Transport Police officers and civilian employees of the South Carolina Department of Public Safety participated in Safety Awareness events at Interstate rest areas and welcome centers across South Carolina.

The SC Department of Public Safety will release a final report of Sober or Slammer enforcement statistics the week of September 15.

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety includes the Highway Patrol, Office of Highway Safety, State Transport Police, Bureau of Protective Services and Office of Justice Programs. Our mission is to ensure public safety by protecting and serving the people of South Carolina and its visitors.

 Click here for audio clip

Cutline Information suitable for either photo: SCDPS personnel met with travelers at the Interstate-20 Rest Stop in Kershaw County Friday as part of a number of safety awareness events held across the state to remind motorists and travelers to drive safely and soberly as the last major summer holiday – Labor Day – approaches. (SCDPS Photo)

Click below to view photos:

SOS Photo 1

SOS Photo 2