Christmas until New Year travel in SC: ‘Sober or Slammer,’ and look for checkpoints
Police agencies will have extra patrols and checkpoints in York, Chester, and Lancaster counties through the Christmas holiday season into 2021 in an effort to combat drunk driving, officials said.
Local and South Carolina officials are in the midst of a “Sober or Slammer” campaign aimed at reducing DUI and collisions that cause fatalities and injuries. The South Carolina Department of Public Safety said it will conduct a series of public safety checkpoints throughout the state through the New Year’s holiday period.
“The responsible and safe way to get around this holiday season is just don’t drink and drive for any reason,” said Master Trooper Gary Miller of the S.C. Highway Patrol. “Sober driving is safer driving.”
Roads are expected to be busy both the Christmas weekend and New Year weekend, Miller said.
“With COVID still with us, local travel will likely be higher this holiday season,” Miller said. “If people do gather, they need to be safe getting there and getting home. There’s no reason to be impaired on the road.”
York, Chester deputies will be on patrol
In York County, the sheriff’s office traffic enforcement unit and patrol deputies will work through the new year, said sheriff’s office spokesman Trent Faris.
Law enforcement in Chester County started extra patrols both during the day and at night in mid-December that will continue through 2021, said Grant Suskin, spokesman for the Chester County Sheriff’s Office. Chester County has a multi-agency DUI task force.
The Chester sheriff’s office has targeted speeding and DUI, Suskin said.
In 2019, a study by Safewise said South Carolina had the third-most drunk driving incidents in America in recent years.
In York County during the overnight hours of Dec. 31 2018 and Jan. 1 2019, three people died in two early morning crashes, troopers said.
Then on New Year’s Eve 2019 and New Year’s Day 2020, two people were killed in collisions in York and Chester counties.
Weather: No White Christmas, but cold
Miller of the highway patrol urged drivers to be mindful of wet road conditions when traveling Christmas Eve.
There will not be a “White Christmas,” however, in South Carolina.
But there will be winter weather.
“Rain is likely, possibly mixing with snow after midnight, then gradually ending. Partly cloudy, with a low around 26,” is what the National Weather Service says about Christmas Eve. Then, temperatures are expected to be cold Christmas Day with highs not getting out of the 30s, no snow is expected.
COVID: Travel expected to be down, gas cheaper than 2019
AAA said holiday travel is expected to be down about 25 percent nationally from the end of 2019.
Gas prices have jumped several cents per gallon in the past month, but are more than 30 cents less than at the end of 2019, according to AAA. The average in South Carolina is still under $2 a gallon at $1.99.
Area stations continue to offer gas at less than average prices.
Several gas stations in York County have gas as low as $1.79 per gallon, according to Gas Buddy. Stations in Chester and Lancaster counties are showing gasoline as low as 1.85, GasBuddy statistics show.
This story was originally published December 22, 2020 at 8:27 AM.
