In the two years since the State of South Carolina stopped hiring new State Troopers, drivers have increased, crashes and response times have increased; but troopers on the roads have decreased. 

As the State agency enforcing traffic laws and working accidents, Upstate troopers have been busy.

"Many troopers from the time they get in their cars in the morning stay there for the 12 hours going from crash to crash with very little time to do the enforcement that would make the crash rate dwindle," Lt. Cpl. Dan Marsceau said.

And the crash rate shows that's true. One out of every four wrecks state wide is on our roadways and just getting worse. "In the five upstate counties we have 1/4 of the registered vehicles and licensed drivers," Marsceau said.

But in contrast, the number of troopers has decreased from more than one thousand a couple of years ago, to just about 750 for all of South Carolina. The Upstate has about 100.

"We're operating at a 60% to 70% staffing rate. We're very short," Marsceau said.

It is a shortage that makes getting to accidents difficult. Response times are all over the map. "It's five or ten minutes or I have heard of situations where it's been well over an hour," Marsceau said.

Response times they say will decrease when the first new class of troopers in two years hit the roads; but digging out will not be immediate.

"It may take several classes over several years before we start to see the strength of our troopers across the state," Marsceau said.

South Carolina approved hiring new troopers at the beginning of the year. You can expect to see the first new class hit the roads later this year.