June 22, 2009

CONTACT: L/Cpl. Sonny Collins, 803-896-8144

SC HIGHWAY PATROL AWARDED GRANT FOR DUI ENFORCEMENT IN HORRY CO.

COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Highway Patrol has begun patrolling Horry County roadways using two 2009 black, fully marked Dodge Chargers as part of a federally funded grant program to combat impaired driving.

Two troopers were selected to be part of this special, grant-funded enforcement initiative where their enforcement time is 100 percent devoted to proactive, DUI traffic enforcement.

In 2008, more than half of the highway deaths in South Carolina were caused by impaired driving.

The vehicles were awarded to Trooper First Class C.C. Sanders and Trooper First Class M.B. Sarvis. These troopers were already assigned to the Troop Five area and were already working on a DUI enforcement team within the Troop.  

“Our past DUI enforcement efforts have shown that when a trooper is able to devote their entire job to proactive enforcement, they get results,” said Highway Patrol Col. Kenny Lancaster, Jr. “This is especially important when conducting impaired driving enforcement. This grant is part of an overall, statewide effort to drive down highway deaths.”

Horry County ranks consistently high in DUI collisions and DUI arrests.

n      2007: 715 DUI arrests; 88 total fatalities;

n      2008 (when Troop DUI team formed): 1,273 DUI arrests; 48 total fatalities;

Troopers began patrolling the Horry County roadways at a time when the 100 Deadly Days of Summer have kicked off on the nation’s highways and beach traffic in the Horry County area will have increased.

The grant was in the amount of $230,170 and runs from October 1, 2008, to September 2009.