City of Cayce’s Traffic Speed Enforcement Unit Off to a Good Start
May 31, 2009
But still has more work to do
CAYCE, SC – May 29, 2009 – Last fall, the City of Cayce was awarded a South Carolina Department of Public Safety, Office of Highway Safety Grant, which is helping fund its new Traffic Speed Enforcement Unit.
The grant is being used to fund two uniformed traffic officers who are solely devoted to Police Traffic Services/Speed Enforcement. The grant funds are used for the officers’ salaries and associated vehicles and equipment.
In 2007, South Carolina ranked 2nd for Worst States for Drunken Driving in fatalities per one hundred thousand people according to Forbes.com in February 2009.
Last year, WIS produced the report, Getting Home Safely: An Analysis on Highway Safety in South Carolina (Feb. 2008). It concluded, “The traffic fatality rate on South Carolina’s rural, non-interstate roads is the highest in the nation and much higher than on the state’s other roads.” The publication also listed the 100 state routes with the highest serious crash rates. Ten of those roads run through Lexington County.
In Lexington County, accidents mostly occur on secondary roads, which run directly through Cayce. Ultimately, the City of Cayce is using a proactive approach to reduce citations on a state level. The new Traffic Speed Enforcement Unit assists the state in reducing traffic crashes, deaths, injuries, and property damages.
On a local level, this approach that the City of Cayce is taking is small, but essential and necessary to encourage safer driving throughout the county and state.
“In the City of Cayce, one of our top priorities is to keep our citizens safe,” says Cayce City Manager John C. Sharpe. “Through this grant, we can put new officers on the streets to enforce safe driving speeds. By cracking down on speeders, we can help both drivers and pedestrians stay safe and enjoy our beautiful community. This grant helps us protect Cayce’s outstanding quality of life and we are honored to receive it.”
