A recent federal study shows that South Carolina has a higher rate of speed-related deaths than any other state. The ranking has changed slightly in the past seven years, but this isn't new information for the nation or South Carolinians.

South Carolina drivers have been speeding to the front of the line for 20 years. It's just in the most recent study that the state has overtaken the competition.

An Associated Press story published in August 1998 reported nearly the same information. "South Carolina is a national leader in deadly automobile accidents because people here drive drunk, speed and don't wear seat belts as often as drivers elsewhere." As the number of fatalities climbed last year, especially on Interstate 95 in Jasper County, state public safety officials reported that speed and driver inattention were major contributors to the accidents and deaths.

So the news from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the U.S. Transportation Department that at least one person was speeding in nearly half the fatal accidents in South Carolina from 1983 to 2002 comes as no surprise.

The state is exploring a different approach to reduce speeding -- the addition of more patrol officers and education. The S.C. General Assembly approved $7 million for an additional 100 state troopers this year. While the additional troopers will add enforcement capabilities, the Highway Patrol still will be about 150 troopers short of the manpower of five years ago, when it had 1,006 officers.

Additional troopers can write more traffic tickets, but evidence shows that doesn't help reduce fatalities. According to The Associated Press, the Highway Patrol issued 239,686 speeding citations in 2004 and 228,363 in 2003, which was down from the 270,982 in 2002 and the 341,083 in 2001. Fatalities related to speed increased each year from 2000 to 2002.

Education may be a big component of new efforts. In addition to 24 troopers assigned to six-man speed enforcement units in rural areas where many speeding deaths occur, the officers will be speaking at traffic safety forums around the state.

While enforcement and education may help reduce fatalities, a good dose of common sense must take precedent. It shouldn't take the threat of an expensive ticket to lower a driver's speed and thus the chance of death on the highway. Congested highways create opportunities for wrong-headed thinking and driving. Driving slower, paying attention and defensive driving are three better-than-average ways to arrive at one's destination in one piece and alive.