Fewer road deaths

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The numbers are in, and road deaths during the typically busy July 4th holiday declined considerably. Just four people died during that weekend, compared to 22 deaths during the same period last year.

Law enforcement officers had braced themselves for just the opposite. Since Independence Day fell on a Friday this year, giving most workers a three-day weekend, highway traffic was anticipated to be at an all-time high. It was.

However, fewer people died, and law enforcement is giving credit to its Sober or Slammer campaign that ended July 13. Over two weeks of aggressive enforcement, including the July 4th holiday, traffic deaths were down nearly 40 percent compared to last year.

Drivers were more safety-conscious because law enforcement blanketed the highways and the state Department of Public Safety ran a series of public service announcements on the dangers and consequences of driving under the influence.

More drivers buckled up. Fewer drivers escaped the reach of law enforcement when they chose to drive while impaired. And the results are undeniable.

Clearly, it would help if South Carolina invested more in traffic enforcement and adopted a primary seat-belt law. Both are critical elements if this state, among the deadliest for drivers, is going to reduce its road carnage.