Increase in Highway Fatalities in South Carolina

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Columbia , S.C. (WOLO) — According to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, there’s been an increase in the number of highway fatalities so far in 2015 compared to this time last year. With a growing economy, vacation travelers are enjoying low gas prices and hitting the road. However, officials said the influx of traffic is creating hazards on the highway. “What’s alarming is that somebody lost their life on a highway,” said Lance Corporal David Jones. Lance Corporal Jones said there have been more than 500 highway fatalities in South Carolina in the past 7 months, up roughly 18 percent from this time last year. “If we could reduce that fatality rate back down to what it was last year and save 75 to 100 lives, that’s 100 people that get to spend Christmas with their family or get to spend Labor Day with their family,” said Lance Corporal Jones. Jones said they are seeing an uptick in the number of highway fatalities for several reasons but one of biggest is people drinking and getting behind the wheel. “Almost half of our fatality rate is alcohol related,” said Lance Corporal Jones. In addition, officials said many of the fatalities could‘ve been prevented had the victim been wearing a seatbelt. “Even though we have a 91% usage rate for seatbelts almost half of our fatalities are unrestrained so we know if people simply buckle up we can save a life in South Carolina,” said Jones. To make the roads a safer place for drivers, officials are urging motorists to buckle up, slow down and avoid any distractions as part of their target zero campaign. “If we can report these drunk drivers and if we can make sure that our family’s doing the right thing or our communities doing the right thing, we can reduce our fatality rate and at the end of the year we want to achieve a goal of target zero but it has to start with you and your good driving behaviors,” said Jones. Officials add if you witness anyone on the roads driving impaired to dial *HP.