COLUMBIA (WACH) -- With more motorists expected to be on the roads this holiday weekend, officials are warning drivers to be alert for dangers.
Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial start to summer. It's also the start of the 100 Deadly Days of Summer.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol says during the holiday weekend last year 10 people died. Troopers want to keep that number low this year. So far, they are reporting around the same number of fatalities this year as the same time last year.
“Even though summer is a time when we typically see fatalities increase, we are hopeful that we will have another summer similar to 2010 when fatalities actually decreased during the summer months,” said Col. F.K. Lancaster Jr. “This largely depends on the motoring public making wise decisions behind the wheel.”
To help meet their goal, the highway patrol is stepping up its enforcement. They'll be looking for the usual offenders: seat belt violations, drunk and reckless drivers and speeders.
Officials are also taking to the waters to make sure people are safe while having a good time.
Click here to find the lowest gas prices on your trip.
Several accidents are already slowing down holiday traffic on the Interstates. You can check out the SCDOT's website to find out if you're going to run into traffic delays in your travels.
Are you traveling this weekend? How far are you driving? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
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