The South Carolina Department of Public Safety has launched a ‘Sober or Slammer’ campaign, increasing its number of DUI checkpoints and highway patrol officers on the road. It comes shortly after researchers deemed South Carolina one of the worst states in the nation for intoxicated drivers.
“We have targeted roads that we know that we have a lot of collisions on, a lot of crashes, so we’re going to try to target those roads, our problem roads, and we’re going to try to be out there so people can see us,” Master Trooper Brian Lee with South Carolina Highway Patrol told WBTW.
According to SCDPS, nearly half of all fatal crashes in South Carolina involve an impaired driver. State law defines drunk driving as having a blood alcohol content which is .08 percent or higher.
There were nearly 22,000 DUI arrests made in South Carolina last year. If that number seems incredibly high, that’s because it is. The state recently ranked #2 in the nation for drunk driving.
The ‘Sober or Slammer’ campaign will continue until Labor Day, the last day of what law enforcement calls the “100 Deadly Days of Summer” – the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day, during which traffic deaths increase.
Efforts such as ‘Sober or Slammer’ are great ways to raise awareness and catch drunk drivers in the act, but law enforcement sadly can’t be everywhere at one time, or stop every DUI accident from occurring.
When drunk driving accidents occur, they leave victims with serious physical and emotional pain and insurmountable medical bills. Victims are often left with permanent disfigurement, scarring, and the long-term need for medical attention and rehabilitation.
In these situations, hiring a South Carolina personal injury lawyers is highly advised. A qualified lawyer can thoroughly review your case and come up with a plan to fight for fair and adequate compensation.
Drunk driving accidents can be extremely costly, and you can’t rely on the other side’s insurance company to offer a fair sum. Instead, they’ll do everything they can to pay out the smallest amount of money possible. Money is their top priority.
McWhirter, Bellinger & Associates has been fighting for victims of drunk driving accidents for more than 40 years, and we have some of the most experienced lawyers in the business. If you’ve been injured by an intoxicated driver on a South Carolina roadway, we would love to hear your story.
We have offices across the Midlands of South Carolina, in Aiken, Camden, Columbia, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg, and Sumter. Give us a call today at 803-768-3447 for a free case evaluation. It won’t cost you anything to see if we can help.®