Thirty new state troopers will report for duty next week around the state after graduating from basic training Thursday afternoon. Another class of troopers graduated two months ago, but the Highway Patrol is still short-handed.

"Unfortunately, we've lost 48 troopers since last summer," says Highway Patrol commander Col. Russell Roark. "So when you look at the balance, we put 60 on the streets, you've got a net gain of 12. We've got to have a continuing hiring cycle on a recurring basis to bring our numbers back up."

In 2000, there were 961 state troopers on our roads. Even with the addition of these new troopers the state now has 806.

There's no question they're needed. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a report in June saying South Carolina has the highest rate of speeding-related fatalities in the nation.

From 1983 to 2002, the state recorded 19,211 highway fatalities. Of those, 9,515--just under half--were speeding-related.

Col. Roark says the high death rate is directly related to having fewer troopers on the road. "High visibility means less opportunity to offend, and we've proven that. On U.S. 17 in  Colleton and Beaufort counties we had a rash of fatalities. And we re-directed some resources, some motor officers, in that area and the fatality rate plummeted to nothing."

The Patrol will start training another new class of 65 to 75 cadets in January, and Col. Roark is hoping the legislature will fund at least 100 new troopers next year.