Be careful if you travel for the holiday. SC has most impaired-driving deaths in US, study finds

There were 396 deaths caused by impaired drivers in South Carolina, the highest in the nation, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, SafeWise reported.

With close to half a million people hitting Palmetto State roads during Labor Day weekend, the chances for a crash will rise. So there have been multiple calls urging drivers to be safe.

They are well founded.

Based on the overall population in S.C., the Palmetto State is the second-deadliest state in the United States, per capita, according to the SafeWise study. With an average of 7.98 impaired driving fatalities per 100,000, S.C. trails only Montana (9.15) for the undesirable distinction.

Those numbers could increase this weekend with so many more drivers on the road.

AAA Carolinas estimated 488,000 South Carolina residents will be driving “50 miles or more from home,” Washington Daily News reported. Twice as many drivers from North Carolina will be making similar travels over the holiday weekend, with 1,094,000 estimated to be on the road, per AAA Carolinas.

The State has previously reported that in S.C., nearly half of all fatal crashes involve drunken or drugged drivers, according to a recent study from alcohol.org.

“For most vacationers, the Labor Day holiday is the last hoorah for summer vacations,” AAA Carolinas spokesperson Tiffany Wright said, according to the-dispatch.com. “With gas prices pretty much even with what we saw last Labor Day, we don’t expect this to prevent Carolinians from hitting the road.”

Because of that, AAA is asking inebriated people to use designated drivers or to call a taxi. SafeWise is doing something else in an effort to curb any potential impaired driving deaths.

It is offering a chance for residents in the five states with the highest number of impaired driving deaths to use the ride-share company Lyft, at a discounted rate. The first 100 people from Montana, South Carolina, North Dakota, New Mexico and Alabama to fill out this form will receive a $10 Lyft gift card.

Using ride-share services has helped to reduce the number of impaired driving deaths in some cities, CBS News reported.

It could be a benefit this weekend. And not only because of the influx of drivers.

Labor Day weekend is ranked as the second most dangerous holiday weekend to drive, according to a study by Value Penguin. The average of 308 fatalities nationwide, is behind the average of 312 on Memorial Day weekend.

But the good news is that Monday marks the end of “The 100 Deadly Days.” That is what AAA Carolinas calls the period running from Memorial Day to Labor Day, during which traffic deaths typically increase.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol has also reached out, asking drivers to obey the law while driving in an effort to increase safety.

“We want everybody to be safe on our highways this Labor Day weekend,” S.C. Highway Patrol Lt. Matt Southern said in a clip shared on Twitter. “Never drink and drive.”