SCDOT, AAA Foundation Join to Prevent ROR Deaths
The department says more than 500 of the 922 traffic crashes in South Carolina last year were run-off-road incidents, and at least one ROR fatality occurs in the state every day.
A new campaign joins the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) with the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety to prevent run-off-road crashes, which are a big problem in the Palmetto State. The department says more than 500 of the 922 traffic crashes in South Carolina in 2008 were run-off-road incidents, at a total cost of nearly $1 billion, and at least ROR one fatality occurs in the state every day.
SCDOT is adding rumble strips and says they are highly effective, reducing ROR crashes by as much as 80 percent. The statewide educational campaign will include radio and TV public service announcements, and the foundation says a DVD soon will be released. The DVD explains corrective actions to take if your vehicle runs off the road.
These are the three Rs of rumble strip safety, according to SCDOT:
- Recognize the rumble strips when you see them on a road.
- React calmly if you encounter them; stay off the gas and off the brake.
- Recover by allowing the rumble strip to help you regain control safely.
The department says South Carolina ranks among the top 10 states with the highest percentage of ROR crashes.