Senator encourages driving safely during the summer

The recent Fourth of July celebration served as a reminder of how summers are a time for families to gather – at home or away – for good food and good times. Summertime also means increased travel in our beautiful state – whether to beaches, recreational areas, historic sites or theme parks. Our roadways become a little more congested, as folks seek to reunite with family or to get away for summer vacations.

State and local law enforcement officials call the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day the “100 Deadly Days of Summer”. It’s a period when traffic collisions and deaths traditionally – and unfortunately – increase in our state. Law enforcement officials use the summer holiday period to remind drivers not to engage in risky activities that would endanger themselves, their passengers or other motorists.

For example, the S.C. Department of Public Safety, along with other law enforcement agencies, recently stepped up their efforts against impaired driving. The summer-long enforcement and education campaign is designed, according to public safety officials, to highlight the tragic results of driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

Coincidentally, those state officials say, many deaths that occur over the Independence Day holiday are generally from DUI related crashes. Our public safety officials report that during last year alone, 426 people were killed in DUI-related crashes in South Carolina. Over the last five years, an average of 422 people was killed each year on our state roadways. And, those are numbers our public safety officials are trying to reduce through their enforcement efforts.

Law enforcement officials also want drivers to reduce the number of distractions – such as answering cell phones or sending text messages – while operating their vehicles. The federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that driver distractions contribute to 25 percent of all police-reported traffic crashes.

Also, let me add, to please buckle up. Federal highway safety officials say regular safety belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce deaths in traffic crashes. Worn correctly, safety belts reduce the risk of death to those in the front seats of passenger cars by 45 percent. That number climbs to 60 percent for those in pickup trucks, SUVs or minivans.

Last year, South Carolina raised its safety belt usage rate to a record 79 percent. But we can do better. That’s below the national average of 83 percent safety belt usage. And, according to a May report from the federal highway traffic safety agency, more than 100 lives would be saved each year in South Carolina if we raised our seat belt usage rate to 90 percent.

So, buckle up and be safe during your summer travels. I want to talk to you – and not about you. Besides, I look forward to hearing about your summer vacation.

Contact Sen. Williams in Columbia at (803) 212-6008 or by fax at (803) 211-6011. The district office is located at 137 Airport Road, Suite J, Mullins, 29574; phone number is (843) 423-8337; fax number is (843) 431-6049. E-mail to williamsk@scsenate.org; or call (843) 423-3904.