South Carolina Department of Public Safety begins this year’s Buckle Up, SC Campaign

South Carolina – To prepare for the busy summer travel season, the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) is beginning its Buckle Up, South Carolina campaign.

Beginning Monday, May 19 to Sunday, June 1, SCDPS, along with local law enforcement agencies, will begin to crack down on the state’s seat belt law. This is part of Buckle Up, South Carolina. It’s the law and it’s enforced (BUSC) mobilization.

SCDPS is partnered with regional and national partners to promote the use of seat belts. The campaigns goals are: to increase the use of safety belts, decrease traffic fatalities and serious injuries and increase awareness of safety belts ability to keep motorist safe on the road.

The campaign will launch a new web series about the Target Zero mission, the video includes interviews with everyday South Carolina citizens and their views on traffic deaths in the state. Target Zero guides all enforcement and educations activities at SCDPS, and has a long term strategy to reduce and eliminate traffic fatalities in South Carolina.

In 2013, daytime compliance of the law reached 91.7 percent. However, 55 percent of people killed in a vehicular accident had access to a safety belt. Preliminarily statistics show, that in 2013, 273 people were killed in while not wearing their seat belt, at the time of their death.

“South Carolina saw a significant reduction in traffic deaths in 2013, dropping to under 800 persons killed for only the third time in the past 50 years,” said SCDPS Director Leroy Smith. “However, the Target Zero mission reminds us that while the progress is encouraging, one life lost on our state’s roadways is one life too many. Increasing safety belt use will significantly help drive us toward Target Zero.”

As of May 13, 251 people have died in highway fatalities this year, compared to 255 last year. 95 of the 184 people with access to safety belts, died unbuckled.

Commander of the South Carolina Highway Patrol, Col. Mike Oliver, spoke of the importance of buckling up while riding or driving. “Travel increases this time each year as people head to the beach or on vacations,” said Oliver. “That is why the public can expect to see more blue lights this summer as DPS and local law enforcement place a strong emphasis on both speed and safety belt enforcement.”

BUSC campaign is supported by The South Carolina Department of Transportation by having its message boards display “Buckle Up. Its the law.” SCDOT will also display the daily fatality count on the overhead variable message boards this summer.