South Carolina Launches Distracted Driving Crackdown After Trooper Deaths
GREENVILLE, S.C. — South Carolina public safety officials are rolling out a weeklong crackdown on distracted driving, citing a rise in dangerous roadside incidents that have injured or killed state troopers.
Operation Keep Us Safe Begins
Starting Monday, Operation Keep Us Safe will see state Highway Patrol troopers working with 46 county sheriffs and police chiefs to enforce two key traffic laws:
- Hands-Free Law — bans drivers from holding or supporting a device while a car is in motion. Even placing a phone on the lap or holding it to the ear is a violation.
- Slow Down, Move Over Law — requires drivers to change lanes or slow down significantly when approaching flashing emergency lights on the roadside.
The initiative comes just weeks after the death of First Class Trooper Dennis D. Ricks of Lexington County, the first trooper killed in the line of duty since 2017.
Officials Demand Safer Roads
Col. Christopher Williamson, Commander of the Highway Patrol, expressed frustration:
“I don’t know how to get through to people to care about what’s going on outside of phones, own vehicles and own world. But I do know their lack of attention, lack of good judgment and their lack of regard for other human lives has got to stop. Enough is enough.”
Penalties for Violators
- Hands-Free Law: Currently in a 180-day grace period. Drivers will receive warnings now, but once it ends, violations will bring a $100 fine for the first offense and $200 plus two license points for repeat offenses within three years.
- Move Over Law: Violators face a misdemeanor charge and fines ranging from $300 to $500.
Troopers Share Personal Stories
Master Trooper Mitchell Ridgeway, representing Upstate counties, recalled his own near-death experience when a tractor-trailer sideswiped his cruiser during a roadside stop 10 years ago.
“God definitely had his hand on me that night,” Ridgeway said. “But what I really think about the most is when an incident like Trooper Rick’s happens, and he’s taken from us way, way too soon.”
Do you think South Carolina should make distracted driving penalties even tougher to protect troopers and roadside workers? Share your thoughts with us at SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.
