Traffic fatalities drop

By Staff Reports

At year's end, South Carolinians traditionally brace themselves for grim statistics on traffic fatalities. This New Year's, the story was different.

Traffic deaths on state roads dropped nearly 17 percent last year, the largest decline in more than 35 years. There were 894 deaths in 2008, compared with 1,077 the previous year, according to the S.C. Department of Public Safety.

Not since 1995 have overall traffic deaths hovered around the 900 mark, and not since 2003 have fatalities been below 1,000. Two factors -- seat-belt use and more state troopers on the road -- appeared to play a major role in reducing the number of fatalities.

Five years ago, in 2004, state seat-belt use averaged 65 percent. But after state lawmakers approved a mandatory seat-belt law the following year, use has steadily risen and deaths have fallen. Seat-belt use now averages 79 percent statewide, just four percentage points shy of the national average.

Adding troopers also seemed to help reduce deaths. The number of troopers patrolling for speeders and drunken drivers increased by 200 over the past two years to a force of 970 officers.

The state had experienced a sharp decline in the number of troopers from 2000 to 2006, due in large part to early retirements, high turnover and budget cuts. As last year's reduction in fatalities attests, allowing the erosion of the force of troopers was shortsighted.

The number of highway deaths might have been even lower if the state had a mandatory helmet law for all motorcycle riders. Although motorcycle deaths dipped last year, it was the third year in a row that biker deaths topped 100 -- at 108, compared with 122 in 2007.

Of the motorcyclists killed, 76 percent were not wearing helmets.

State lawmakers unlikely are to pass a helmet law anytime soon. But the state can continue to use proven methods to reduce traffic fatalities: Encourage seat-belt use, enforce the seat-belt law and hire enough troopers to keep pace with the growing population.

Let's hope traffic deaths continue to drop.