Labor Day brings end to “100 Deadliest Days of Summer,” but need for safe driving habits continues

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — Labor Day weekend has begun — and along with the holiday comes traffic, and the need to stay safe on the roadways.

According to the SC Department of Public Safety, Labor Day marks the end of the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer,” which stretch from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Sgt. Tyler Tidwell with the SCDPS says there have been 576 deaths on SC highways since January — which is a decrease of 122 people from this time last year.

One of the biggest reasons for fatalities? Tidwell says drinking and driving.

“Some people may think they won’t get caught, some people may think they’re good enough to drive, and others think the more they have the better drivers they become, and that’s simply not true,” he says.

He asks that everyone who has been drinking use a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft, or call a tow truck or a friend.

“Just don’t make that poor decision to get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. You not only risk your life, you risk the life of a passenger or somebody else on the roadways,” he says.

The other three most dangerous bad habits include speeding, not wearing your seatbelt and driving while distracted. That includes putting on makeup, cutting up with passengers, and of course — texting.

“Let’s say you’re driving 55 mph and you send a text message for about five seconds, and you look down that whole entire time you’re sending that text message. By the time you look back up you will have traveled the length of an entire football field, and that’s just going 55 mph. So just imagine 65, 70, or 80 miles per hour. So we definitely want people to pay attention to what they’re doing,” Tidwell says.

Travelers should also carry a 4-way wrench, and a jack to help if you get a flat tire. And if you do have any issues, you can always call *47 on your mobile phone.