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COLUMBIA -- Safety officials are especially concerned because the Memorial Day holiday is the first big boating weekend of the year.

Officials expect more people on the waterways and roadways.  And with more people comes the threat for more accidents.

South Carolina will be in full force just in time for the Memorial Day weekend, by land and by water.

"When a family goes out for a weekend, they expect to go out and have a good day on the water," said Department of Natural Resources Colonel Alvin Taylor. 

Officers say they see too many deadly crashes in the months between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

"Sadly however these summer trips too often become nightmares," said SC Highway Patrol Colonel Kenny Lancaster. 

Terri Wise has been living with the nightmare since 2002, when her teenaged son, Cory died in a car accident shortly after the Memorial Day holiday.

"The truck hit a pine tree," said Wise.  "He was ejected from the truck and then he hit the ground and died instantly."

Since her son's death, Wise says she's taking a stand to help other families avoid having to live with the hardship.

"I wanted to make sure that no other parent had to suffer like we did," said Wise.

Helping Wise in her crusade are the men and women who patrol the water and roads.

"We want to try and lessen those number of folks getting killed on our waterways and highways," said the Department of Public Safety Director Mark Keel.

In order to cut down on the number of fatalities during the "100 Deadly Days of Summer," law officers are saturating the area.

"We're not trying to catch people, we're trying to change the drivers behavior," said Keel.  "That's what our goal is, and we want it to be a deterrent."

Wise knows first hand everyone traveling by water and by highway could find themselves in harms way.

"It can happen to anyone; It can happen to you," said Wise.  "And just the pain that it brings your family and friends is unbearable."

Last year there were 281 deadly traffic and boating crashes between Memorial Day and Labor Day.