COLUMBIA, S.C. — Christmas is almost here and the hustle and bustle around the midlands has not let up.
If you like to do your shopping along Harbison Blvd. you are most likely aware of the traffic that comes along with it. It backs up not only Harbison Blvd. itself but also I-26.
“So what we see during the holiday rush, especially on Harbison Blvd, we start to see the exit ramp back up, and motorists are trying to exit at the last second," South Carolina State Trooper David Jones told Street Squad, "once we see one collision, we typically see several other crashes if we don’t get them moved out of the road soon enough."
Trooper Jones has been working in this area for many years, "I remember as a trooper working Lexington, going to that location one holiday season where we had one minor crash and we ended up having 13 other minor collisions within an hour or two of that same crash.”
The US Department of Transportation estimates almost 800 motor vehicle crash fatalities from Christmas to New Year's Day this year.
On top of the already busy roads- inclement weather, distracted driving and impatience can impact your travels as well.
“If you’re going to be traveling to Harbison Blvd. know that its going to be extremely busy, know that traffic tends to back up on the interstate," Trooper Jones says, "So again, limit your distractions, reduce your speed, create a larger following distance, and pack your patience as we always say because you along with everybody else is going to be heading out to the shopping centers and heading to the stores. So, pack your patience, know that there’s going to be a lot of vehicles on the roadway with the inclement weather we really need to pay attention that way you won’t have us knocking on loved ones door this holiday season.”
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Remember you can check traffic conditions in real time at WLTX.com/traffic.
If you have any story ideas or information on things happening around town, contact us at StreetSquad@wltx.com or tweet us using the hashtag #StreetSquad19.