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State troopers prepare for July 4th weekend traffic

Troopers are encouraging folks to not drink and drive, to have designated drivers and to be more aware behind the wheel.

SOUTH CAROLINA, USA — The South Carolina Highway Patrol will have troopers out all across the state this Fourth of July weekend and have a couple of things people should keep in mind to help keep travelers safe.

"As we see a lot of travelers hit the highways or interstates that visit the coastline of South Carolina or head to some of our lakes, the South Carolina Highway Patrol is going to be out in full force," said Trooper David Jones.

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, it's known as the 100 Deadly Days of Summer. Officials say they typically see a spike in the number of traffic fatalities on the roadway.

"We want to remind motorists if you're going to go out and celebrate, do so responsibly," explained Trooper Jones. "Don't get behind the wheel of a car if you've been drinking. Make sure you have a designated driver."

"During the summer months, we have an increased effort on certain violations that we see and one of those violations is impaired driving or speeding motorists on the interstate or people still not wearing their seat belt."

The coronavirus pandemic has shut down many events that come along with the Fourth of July. While some parades or firework shows not happening, troopers are still expecting people to be traveling to celebrate in way or another.

"This year may be a little different because we're in the middle of a pandemic. A lot of beaches south of us may be closed in other states. A lot of families may not be getting together because of the fear of the coronavirus. But what we are expecting is to see people still celebrate. We're still going to see a large influx around Lake Murray and our coastline of South Carolina."

Troopers are asking people to be more aware while they are behind the wheel with more pedestrians and bicyclist out and about.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol also wants to stress the importance of not drinking and driving.

"Also what we see is good people who make poor decisions. The thing is about impaired driving, it isn't prejudice. We've arrested lawyers, we've arrested doctors, we've arrested brick masons. At the end of the day, these are good people who make poor decisions. Don't be one of those people because being arrested is the best outcome."

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Trooper Jones says their main mission is to help protect the citizens of South Carolina and its visitors.

"Unfortunately troopers around this state everyday knock on doors notifying family members that their loved one's lost. We can see four or five people lose their life a day on the roadway and sometimes we become numb to those numbers but I can tell you it doesn't become numb to us as troopers. It doesn't become numb to as law enforcement because that's four or five families who doesn't get to share another holiday."

Trooper Jones believes it's going to take everyone's part to help keep the roads safe for everyone traveling not only for this weekend, but anytime of the year.

If you get stuck on the side of the road while traveling, you can call *47 and a trooper will assist you.

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