Troopers step up DUI Enforcement

An elite group of 31 S.C. Highway Patrol troopers have begun their mission to crack down on driving under the influence and save lives on state roadways.

The efforts of the 31- member state Unifed DUI Enforcement Team coincide with the entire agency’s effort to make travel safer for residents during the July 4 weekend, said S.C. Highway Patrol Maj. Melvin Warren.

The agency begin increasing patrol today in anticipation of heavier traffic on the roadways, he said.

Members of the special DUI team were chosen because they have a history of aggressively enforcing DUI laws, Warren said.

The team’s mission is to reduce highway crashes and fatalities related to drunken driving.

Each will be assigned to a geographic area but they aren’t, however, limited to that area, he said.

“The team is highly trained to recognized impaired drivers,” Warren said. “They will also be working closely with other troopers and and other law enforcement agencies,” Warren said.

The agency’s enforcement efforts and the number of DUI-related fatalities are closely related, S.C. Highway Patrol Capt. Jo Nell said.

When troopers increase enforcement in one area then the fatality numbers decrease, he said.

Every county in the Pee Dee has roadways that seem to have highest incidents of DUI, Nell said.

In Florence County, S.C. 51, U.S. 52, U.S. 76 and U.S. 378 have the highest DUI numbers, Nell said.

In Darlington County, U.S. 15, S.C. 151 and Secondary Highway 179 are the areas troopers are concerned about, he said.

During the holiday weekend, troopers will be operating random safety checkpoints to reduce the number of motorists driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, he said.

“The goal is zero fatalities,” Nell said.

The captain also said the agency expects to have more DUI arrests because of their efforts.

“This is the time of year when we are on heighten alert to both increased traffic and an increase in alcohol-related collisions,” Nell said. “Heavy vacation and beach travel has historically meant an increase in alcohol-related collisions and arrests.”

This year, troopers have written about 237 DUI-related tickets in Florence County and about 177 in Darlington County.

About 88 alcohol-related crashes were reported in Florence County, a decrease over the 172 reported last year.

There have been 52 alcohol-related crashes in Darlington compared to the 100 reported last year.