Sober or Slammer Crackdown as Summer Travel ends

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety joined local law enforcement around the state this week for the beginning of an impaired driving crackdown that will include both a strong enforcement component, television commercials and alternative advertising such as DUI messages on ice boxes and box trucks. The campaign will run through the end of Labor Day weekend. From 2007-2011, South Carolina has experienced a 32% reduction in alcohol-impaired fatalities, from 464 to 315. There have been 164 highway deaths since Memorial Day weekend, which kicks off what law enforcement calls the 100 Deadly Days of Summer on state roadways. Last year, there were 176 deaths at the same time through August 12. Overall highway deaths have fallen this year compared to 2012. There have been 432 compared to 516 last year at this time. In the weeks prior to Labor Day, state and local law enforcement agencies will intensify their efforts to crack down on drunk driving and reduce DUI-related traffic deaths in South Carolina.  The SC Highway Patrol urges motorists to call *47 if they see someone they suspect is driving impaired. Signs can include: driving too fast or too slowly; driving erratically, weaving in and out of lanes; crossing the center line or briefly drifting off the roadway.