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_____ Top stories _____ • Trooper ranks still too thin • Underage drinking • Let's spare a little aid for those in need right here • Sept. 19, 2005

The state is striving to play catch-up in training state troopers, but it needs to step on the accelerator. Because of low pay, troopers resign from the Highway Patrol faster than the state can replace them.

This has serious consequences for the safety of South Carolinians on the road. An understaffed Highway Patrol is one reason that South Carolina is third in the nation in the rate of driving fatalities.

About 1,000 South Carolinians die on our state's roads every year. A stronger law enforcement presence on our roads could very well deter speeders and drunken drivers. But state lawmakers have neglected the state Highway Patrol for at least the past five years.

It certainly came as good news that state lawmakers had authorized a new trooper class earlier this year. Unfortunately, the recent graduates have brought the statewide total of troopers to only 783.

A recent Associated Press story noted that the total figure is below last year's number. In fact, the number of tickets issued by troopers dropped by 7 percent during the first half of this year compared with last year. That has everything to do with fewer troopers on the road.