Easter weekend travel: Gas prices are down, law enforcement targets distracted driving
The good news as Spring travel ramps up and the Easter holiday weekend approaches: Gas prices are down in South Carolina.
Some places in York, Chester and Lancaster counties have gas for as low as $3.37 a gallon after prices soared over $4 in late February and early March, according to Gas Buddy.
However, prices that have dropped in the past month by an average in South Carolina of more than 30 cents per gallon are still more than a dollar higher than a year ago, according to AAA Carolinas.
“Gas prices have fallen well-below $4 per gallon in most parts of the Carolinas now,” said Tiffany Wright, spokesperson for AAA Carolinas. “These lower prices are definitely the silver lining for motorists who’ll be hitting the roads more as warmer weather returns.”
The average price in South Carolina is around $3.75 a gallon. In 2021 around the same time, the average price was around $2.58 per gallon, AAA said
In Lake Wylie on the South Carolina side of the Buster Boyd Bridge in York County, several stations have gas at $3.37 per gallon, according to Gas Buddy, a service that tracks prices nationwide.
For people heading to or from the beach, prices continue to drop. Gas prices have dropped close to the South Carolina coast near Myrtle Beach for three straight weeks, the Sun News reported.
Prices across the state line in North Carolina are considerably higher where the average price is $3.84 per gallon, AAA statistics show.
Distracted driving a problem: Law enforcement
Law enforcement officials expect increased numbers of drivers on the road for the Easter weekend and throughout the Spring now that two years of pandemic restrictions have eased in most places. Roads will have heavy traffic this weekend as people return from Spring Break vacations.
With Easter travel numbers expected to be high, the S.C. Department of Transportation is restricting lane closures on all South Carolina Interstate highways through Monday morning for non-emergency roadwork, the agency said in a statement.
York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson has posted several public service announcements this week on the sheriff’s office social media pages about the dangers of distracted driving, which includes texting while driving.
National statistics show 15 percent of all crashes involve distracted driving. The sheriff’s office in York has a traffic enforcement unit that targets DUI and reckless driving.
Sheriff officials in York, Chester and Lancaster counties urge people to drive safely as roads get busier. In Chester County, deputies will be doing periodic saturation enforcement through the Spring to try and deter DUI and other road safety problems, said Grant Suskin, spokesman for the Chester County Sheriff’s Office.
