While Memorial Day weekend may be the unofficial start of summer, it’s also the beginning of the “100 Deadly Days of Summer.”
Last year, South Carolina saw 400 traffic fatalities. Not even halfway through 2018, there have been more than 350. Statistics show a good chance of that number increasing over the summer.
The “100 Deadly Days of Summer” campaign runs during the time of year when traffic fatalities typically rise, especially for teen drivers. Troopers say one reason traffic deaths increase is because more people are out on the roads, enjoying the weather, heading out on the water, having picnics, and in many cases consuming alcohol.
South Carolina Highway Patrol will have more troopers out during the 100 days. They’ll also be conducting more checkpoints and working with local law enforcement.
“‘100 Deadly Days of Summer’ is a campaign that focuses on making the right decisions, not drinking and driving, not speeding, wearing your seatbelt, all of the things that make you a safe driver. The 100 deadly days starts Memorial Day and ends Labor Day, so we see a lot more collisions during those 100 deadly days of summer than any other time of the year,” said Lt. Bob Beres of the SC Highway Patrol.
Running with the 100 Deadly Days of Summer this year is the #WhatMakesYouClick campaign, aiming to promote the use of seatbelts.