S.C. Highway Patrol unveils new unmarked patrol cars, highway safety efforts

Alexandra Koch, Aiken Standard, S.C.
·2 min read

Jul. 1—COLUMBIA — The South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) announced the creation of specialized teams to help curb increasing trends of aggressive driving on Wednesday.

As the state enters the Fourth of July weekend and nears the halfway point of the 100 Deadly Days of Summer, the number of roadway fatalities in 2021 has already surpassed the total number of fatalities last year.

So far this year, South Carolina has seen 496 roadway fatalities. Last year, the total number was 468, according to S.C. Highway Patrol.

"These driving behaviors are exceedingly dangerous and will not be tolerated," said Col. Christopher Williamson, commander of the Highway Patrol. "We want the public to know that the Highway Patrol will have every available trooper out this Fourth of July weekend to identify and stop these violators who are taking unnecessary risks and putting lives in danger on our roadways."

S.C. Highway Patrol troopers and officers from the State Transport Police formed "Area Coordinated Enforcement (ACE) Teams," which will provide assistance to the seven Highway Patrol troops.

ACE Teams will "use crash data and specialized resources to direct the agency's traffic enforcement efforts to the areas of the state where they are needed most," according to SCDPS.

This will include utilizing both marked and unmarked vehicles — including new additions to the Highway Patrol's fleet.

The new Highway Patrol cars, unveiled Wednesday, are striped Dodge Charges in an assortment of body and stripe colors that "allow troopers to blend in with traffic better and detect and enforce aggressive driving behaviors causing injuries and fatalities," according to SCDPS.

While Highway Patrol hopes the new vehicles will help increase roadway safety, Williamson said the new "toys" are also exciting for officers.

"They love the cars," Williamson said. "It's an exciting tool for all of them at this time and I think they will enjoy it. It's good to have a cool toy to get out there and protect people's lives, so that's how they look at it."

S.C. Highway Patrol urged members of the motoring public to put on their flashers if they are pulled over by an unmarked vehicle, slow down to indicate cooperation and follow the trooper's instructions.

If you are unsure if the vehicle is conducting a traffic stop, Williamson said you can call *HP at anytime.

SCDPS will share safety messaging throughout the Fourth of July holiday travel period on its social media pages and the agency's "Drink. Drive. Die." messaging will run through July 4 on radio and social media, according to SCDPS.

"We still have many weeks to go before the end of summer," said Williamson. "Let's get there safely together."