I-77 enforcement targets unsafe driving near Fort Mill

South Carolina State Transport Police troopers are patrolling I-77 and other major interstates through Thursday, Oct. 8, targeting dangerous driving near commercial vehicles.

The agency launched Operation Safe DRIVE on Tuesday, Oct. 6. DRIVE stands for Distracted, Reckless, Impaired and Visibility Enforcement. Officers are conducting high-visibility traffic stops, checking commercial trucks for federal compliance and watching for criminal activity along I-20, I-77 and I-85, the South Carolina Department of Public Safety said Monday, Oct. 5, on X.

I-77 is the main commuter corridor through Fort Mill and Tega Cay.

The State Transport Police, a division of SCDPS, is partnering with local, state and federal law enforcement along the three corridors, according to the agency's program page. Officers are targeting all traffic violations, with a focus on distracted driving, speeding and lane violations around large trucks.

The enforcement push follows Operation Saturday Night Fever, a multi-state overnight effort on Sept. 26 that WIS News 10 reported resulted in 568 commercial vehicle inspections. That operation placed 78 drivers and 25 trucks out of service for issues including fatigue, impairment and mechanical problems. Seven people were arrested on criminal charges, including trafficking of fentanyl and drug possession, according to the Lexington County Chronicle.

The State Transport Police deployed 70 officers across the interstate system during that September operation.

Col. Dwayne Wilson, who leads the State Transport Police, said in a statement about the September effort that the agency's goal is "to reduce crashes while keeping trucks safely moving, recognizing that commercial vehicles are vital to South Carolina's supply chain and to our nation's economy."

The State Transport Police Community Relations Officer urged drivers on X ahead of the operation to put down distractions and watch their speed and lane restrictions.

Troopers are asking motorists to stay out of large trucks' blind spots, leave extra space when merging in front of big rigs and remember that commercial vehicles take longer to stop than passenger cars.