Fight against drunk driving

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must do much more to deter

reckless alcohol-impaired drivers.

The Legislature made some much-welcome progress on fighting drunk driving this year, although the state has a long way to go before losing the sad distinction of having the highest rate of alcohol-related fatalities in the nation.

Lawmakers lowered the DUI standard from .10 to .08 percent blood alcohol content. Much of the credit for the legislation's success goes to Sen. Larry Martin, R-Pickens, who worked hard for its approval and, on Thursday, ushered the bill through the state Senate with less than 15 seconds before the mandated deadline.

The lower standard should make the alcohol-impaired person think twice before getting behind the wheel. The new law would automatically revoke licenses for those whose blood alcohol content is .15.

But it would be wrong to think that a tougher DUI law, by itself, will seriously reduce drunk driving. To work effectively, laws must be enforced — and state trooper numbers have long been inadequate to ensure that drunk drivers are caught.

This year, in fact, the Legislature reduced funding for the state Department of Public Safety — which includes state troopers — by another $10.2 million. The department has seen budget cuts of almost 50 percent since 2000.

As a result, the number of troopers on patrol is 868, with numbers expected to decline this year almost to 800. That's down from about 1,000 15 years ago. Over the same period the number of registered vehicles in South Carolina has increased by nearly 1 million. Clearly, we need more troopers enforcing the law.

Lawmakers also may want to reconsider toughening punishment for DUI offenders, especially repeat offenders.

More treatment programs for alcoholics could help reduce drunk driving as well. Those programs, unfortunately, also have been hurt by state budget cuts. The state Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services has been reduced by about 40 percent in the past two years.

Two issues related to preventing deaths on the road received favorable attention from lawmakers: the seat-belt law and the use of minibottles in bars. The House approved a tougher seat-belt law and a provision that could allow bars to do away with minibottles. But the full Senate didn't address the issues. Senators should place the issues at the top of their January agenda.

Finally, a long-term plan to reduce driving fatalities overall must include improving state roads, many of which are too narrow and offer little shoulder space.

Lawmakers should build on the momentum created in this legislative session by continuing next year to take the necessary steps that will prevent drunks from becoming potential killers on the road.